Department for Transport

Roads: North of England

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the money allocated to northern road infrastructure in Budget 2016, is in addition to £800 million allocated to the North West Road Infrastructure Programme.

Andrew Jones: At the budget £161m was announced for the acceleration of smart motorway upgrades to the M62 between junctions 10-12 and 20-25. A further £75m from the Transport Development Fund was committed to developing the recommendations of the government’s strategic studies on Northern Trans-Pennine routes, Manchester’s North West Quadrant and the Trans-Pennine Tunnel. Both of these commitments are in addition to the £1.5bn being spent in the North West between 2015 and 2021 to deliver schemes committed under the first Road Investment Strategy.

Heathrow Airport

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the availability of housing of plans to demolish homes in the event of a third runway being built at Heathrow Airport.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Government continues to consider the large amount of very detailed analysis contained in the Airports Commission’s Final Report, including on housing demand and loss, before taking any decisions on next steps.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has had discussions with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the effect on air quality of the construction of Phase One of High Speed 2.

Mr Robert Goodwill: There have been regular ongoing discussions with officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on all the environmental aspects of HS2, including air quality.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to pause plans to construct Phase One of HS2 until he has received assurances that they comply with the air quality standards and principles in the document Improving air quality in the UK: Tackling nitrogen dioxide in our towns and cities, published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in January 2016.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The air quality mitigation measures set out in the Environmental Statement and Supplementary Environmental Statements for the Phase One hybrid Bill, alongside the measures that will be taken forward as part of the HS2 Code of Construction Practice and agreed in the Local Environmental Management Plans, will ensure the construction of Phase one of HS2 is compliant with the principles set out in January 2016 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs document.

Railway Stations: Birmingham

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assurances he has received that (a) construction of a new station in Curzon Street and (b) other construction activity in Birmingham will comply with air quality limit values for nitrogen dioxide.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Environmental Statement and Supplementary Environmental Statements for the Phase One hybrid Bill fully assessed the impact on air quality from HS2 construction activity for the proposed Curzon Street Station and for other areas in Birmingham. That assessment concluded that there would be no significant effect on the air quality in these areas.

Bridges: North West

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his visit to the Mersey Gateway on 23 April 2015, what progress has been made on ensuring support will be provided to small businesses in Runcorn and Widnes when that bridge opens in 2017 related to the cost of tolls crossing the Mersey Gateway.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Residents of Halton will already be able to use the bridges for free following previous Government decisions to fund an extension to the original, limited, resident’s discount scheme proposed by Halton Borough Council. Heavy goods vehicles and coaches will pay the same wherever they are geographically based which will ensure a level playing field for businesses across the North West.

Shipping: Minimum Wage

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2016 to Question 25958, when he expects the revised guidance on the national minimum wage for seafarers to be published; and when he last discussed that matter with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The publication of the guidance is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS). My officials have been working collaboratively with officials in BIS and the draft revised guidance has now been submitted to key stakeholders, including employee and employer representatives, for comment. BIS has stated that it remains on target to publish the guidance in spring 2016.

Bus Services: North East

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of bus services in Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Teesside.

Andrew Jones: The bus market outside London is deregulated and decisions regarding service provision is primarily a commercial matter for bus operators. Decisions about the provision of subsidised services are a matter for individual English local authorities, in the light of their other spending priorities. The Government is committed to supporting bus services in England. We are taking forward a Buses bill to provide local authorities with the tools they need to improve local bus services.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what evidence he has received to demonstrate  that the construction of Phase One of High Speed 2 will not breach the requirements of Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Environmental Statement and Supplementary Environmental Statements for the Phase One hybrid Bill fully assessed the impact on air quality from HS2 construction. The method of assessment is specifically directed at the limit values set out in Annex II of Directive 2008/50/EC, and identifies whether the limit values are currently breached, anticipated to be breached in the future, and to what extent any breaches are affected by the construction of Phase One of HS2.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of whether the air quality objectives set out in Annex II of Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe will be breached in any location scheduled to be affected by the construction of Phase One of High Speed 2.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Environmental Statement and Supplementary Environmental Statements for the Phase One hybrid Bill fully assessed the impact on air quality from HS2 construction. Those assessments specifically considered the limit values set out in Annex II of Directive 2008/50/EC, and identified whether the limit values are currently breached, were anticipated to be breached in the future, and to what extent any breaches would be affected by the construction of Phase One of High Speed Two.

Heathrow Airport

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many public and private hospitals lie under the Heathrow final approach flight paths; and how many such hospitals would lie under the proposed flightpaths should the third runway be approved.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Government continues to consider the large amount of very detailed analysis contained in the Airports Commission’s final report, including on flight paths, before taking any decisions on next steps. Ultimately, any proposals to alter the airport’s flightpaths would be subject to the Civil Aviation Authority’s Airspace Change Process which includes the need to consult those local communities affected.

Heathrow Airport

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Heathrow Hub runway extension is being considered as an alternative to a third runway.

Mr Robert Goodwill: On 14 December 2015, the Government formally announced that it accepted the Airports Commission’s case for new runway capacity in the South East, as well as the Commission’s three shortlisted schemes - namely additional runways at Gatwick or Heathrow, or an extension to the existing northern runway at Heathrow. The Government will not be considering any other options.

Heathrow Airport

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what he expects the decision-making process after any announcement regarding a third runway at Heathrow to be.

Mr Robert Goodwill: On 14 December 2015, the Government formally announced that it accepted the Airports Commission’s case for new runway capacity in the South East, as well as the Commission’s three shortlisted schemes. We continue to consider all three schemes, including a third runway at Heathrow. At the same time, it was also announced that the Department for Transport would prepare an airports national policy statement as the framework for implementing decisions on airport capacity in line with the Planning Act 2008.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the construction activity required to construct Phase One of High Speed 2 will result in any household experiencing carbon monoxide levels in excess of the thresholds for that substance detailed in European Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The construction of Phase One of HS2 will not result in any household experiencing carbon monoxide levels in excess of the thresholds for that substance detailed in European Directive 2008/50/EC.

Ports: EU Law

Mr Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he plans to take in response to the rejection by the European Parliament of the competitive market exemption condition agreed by the Council of Ministers in 2014 as part of the Council's General Approach to the Ports Regulation to ensure that the UK ports industry is fully protected from the effects of that regulation.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The European Parliament did not replicate the competitive market exemption (CME) provisions in the Council’s General Approach but negotiations on the EU port services Regulation are ongoing. I am committed to defending the UK’s ports and ensuring during the negotiations that the efficiency and competitiveness of our successful ports sector are safeguarded.

Driving: Licensing

Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what meetings the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has had with the professional photographic sector since June 2015; and if he will request that the DVLA meets representatives of the Photo Marketing Association to discuss the future provision of digital ID photographs.

Andrew Jones: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has met with representatives of the professional photographic sector on six occasions since June 2015. My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the minister with responsibility for the DVLA and DVLA officials are due to meet with the Photo Marketing Association on 27 April.

Southern: Compensation

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much Network Rail has paid to Southern Rail in compensation for late running and skipped stopping in each of the last three years.

Claire Perry: This information is published on Network Rail’s website - http://www.networkrail.co.uk/transparency/datasets/ - covering the years 2012-13 to 2014-15. 2015-16 is not yet available.

Railways: Compensation

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much Southern Rail/GTR has paid in compensation payments to passengers in each of the last three years.

Claire Perry: The Department holds the information as set out in the table attached. Not all operators are required to provide such figures.



32660 - TOC compensation 2010-2015
(PDF Document, 27.3 KB)

Heathrow Airport

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the effect on traffic congestion in (a) Brentford and Isleworth constituency and (b) the London borough of Hounslow of the proposed third runway at Heathrow.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Airports Commission undertook a range of detailed assessments to support its Final Report published in July 2015. The analysis included a detailed assessment of transport network impacts for each of the Commission’s three short-listed options. Copies of the Commission’s Surface Access: Dynamic Modelling Report its Local and Strategic Roads Modelling Study for the Heathrow Airport North West Runway Proposals, and the Commission’s Freight Impact Study were published alongside its Final Report, and are available from the Commission website at the following links:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/437460/surface-access-dynamic-modelling-report-heathrow-airport-north-west-runway.pdfhttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/437459/surface-access-local-and-strategic-roads-modelling-study-heathrow-airport-north-west-runway.pdfhttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/437276/surface-access-freight-impacts-study.pdf The Government will carefully consider all the evidence set out when making a decision on the location of additional runway capacity.

Heathrow Airport

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many emergency landings there have been at Heathrow Airport in the last five years.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Department does not collect data on how many emergency landings there have been at Heathrow Airport. However if serious enough, such incidents would be counted amongst data for safety related events. These are defined as an event which endanger or which, if not corrected or addressed, could endanger an aircraft, its occupants or any other person. They have to be reported to the Civil Aviation Authority as part of the Mandatory Occurrence Reporting Scheme (MORS). Occurrence reporting is now covered by (EU) Regulation No 376/2014. The Regulation requires that the reporting, analysis and follow-up to such occurrences remain confidential. However, the Regulation does permit information to be released on request to interested parties that have a genuine safety related need for the information. An application can be made at www.caa.co.uk.

Heathrow Airport

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to increase capacity on public transport links to Heathrow Airport from central London.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Elizabeth line will replace the existing two train per hour Heathrow Connect service from May 2018 providing a 4 train per hour service to Terminals 1 to 4, operating alongside the existing 4 train per hour Heathrow Express service. This will offer significant improvements in connectivity from and to Heathrow, particularly from the West End, the City and Canary Wharf. Heathrow is also served by regular Piccadilly line services from central London. Upgrading this line is a matter for the Mayor and Transport for London who plan to introduce new modern signalling systems and new trains to provide 60% more capacity (the equivalent of up to 21,000 customers per hour). For any improvements associated with airport expansion, the Government will agree the nature and scale of the surface access transport as part of its decision on its preferred scheme for additional airport capacity in the South East. The Government has also been clear that it expects the scheme promoter to meet the costs of any surface access proposals that are required as a direct result of airport expansion and from which they will directly benefit.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Planning Permission: Appeals

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2016 to Question 27887, if he will publish a list of all those planning appeals allowed in the last 12 months.

Brandon Lewis: Attached is a table which shows all planning appeals allowed in the last 12 months.



Planning appeals allowed table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 297.76 KB)

Planning Permission: Appeals

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2016 to Question 27886, if he will publish a list of the planning appeals which were recovered in the last 12 months.

Brandon Lewis: Attached is a table which shows all planning appeals which have been recovered in the last 12 months.



Planning appeals table 
(Excel SpreadSheet, 17.94 KB)

Non-domestic Rates

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, under what criteria local authorities will be compensated for the change in the updating of business rates from RPI to CPI.

Mr Marcus Jones: Our business rates tax cuts provide significant support to local businesses.The Small Business Rate Relief measure announced at the Budget which starts in 2017-18 will mean 600,000 of the smallest businesses will not have to pay business rates. We will compensate local authorities, in full, for the loss of income as a result of this measure, in the same way as we have done for every other reduction to business rates we have made since the introduction of the business rates retention scheme.In addition, from April 2020, the annual indexation of business rates will be changed from RPI to be consistent with the main measure of inflation, currently CPI. The impact on local authority revenues, post-2020, of this and the other changes announced at the Budget will be considered as part of the Government’s work with the sector on implementing 100 per cent business rate retention.

Energy Performance Certificates

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his policy is on (a) setting a fixed price for Energy Performance Certificates and (b) ensuring that Energy Performance Certificates are valid for more than 10 years.

James Wharton: The overall price charged by accredited energy assessors to house holders and businesses for the preparation of Energy Performance Certificates is not set by government.The validity period is determined by the EU Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings which does not allow the validity period to be extended past 10 years.

Energy Performance Certificates

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that every property has an Energy Performance Certificate by 2020.

James Wharton: An Energy Performance Certificate must be made available whenever a building is sold, rented out or constructed. There are currently no plans to introduce a requirement for every property to have an Energy Performance Certificate, since this would introduce an unnecessary additional burden on building owners and landlords.

Energy Performance Certificates

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions his Department has had with the utility companies on contributions to the cost of Energy Performance Certificates.

James Wharton: This Department has not had any discussions with utility companies about contributing to the cost of Energy Performance Certificates.

Owner Occupation

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of trends in home ownership since 2010.

Brandon Lewis: The number of first time buyers has increased by 59% since the low of 2009, and home ownership has risen for the first time since 2003.In the last year alone there has been a 25 per cent increase in the number of new homes, with government schemes helping over 290,000 people own a home of their own since 2010.

Local Government: Devolution

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the total cost of administrating devolution deals in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

James Wharton: We do not hold this information.

Local Government Finance

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will publish the methodology used by his Department to calculate the distribution of the Transitional Grant announced in the local government finance settlement 2016-17.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Secretary of State has published an explanatory note setting out the method of calculation of the Transition Grant. It is available to view at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/510870/Explanatory_note_on_the_allocation_of_the_Transition_Grant.pdf

Local Government: Public Private Partnerships

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2016 to Question 29831, on how many occasions his Department has provided advice and support upon request from local authorities who wish to undertake post-implementation value for money assessments.

Mr Marcus Jones: None. However, carrying out post-implementation reviews is an established practice of good policy making for both local and central government.

Right to Buy Scheme

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Housing Statistical Release Right to Buy Sales October to December 2015, published on 24 March 2016, what the average length of time was from a start on site to occupancy.

Brandon Lewis: This information is not available.

Right to Buy Scheme: Housing Associations

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether housing association tenants who part-buy their properties under shared ownership will be able to use Right To Buy to purchase either a share or all of that property.

Brandon Lewis: As is the case with the existing Right to Buy, the agreement with housing associations and the National Housing Federation to extend Right to Buy discounts to housing association tenants will not apply to those people who already own a share in their home, including those who purchased their home under shared ownership.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

GCHQ: Staff

Margaret Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the letter from the National Security Adviser to the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy of 10 March 2016, how many GCHQ staff were (a) recruited to and (b) completed the GCHQ cyber apprenticeship scheme in each year since 2012.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Since 2012 the scheme has already provided over 70 highly skilled new entrants to the GCHQ workforce. Of the 18 students who joined the GCHQ apprenticeship scheme in September 2012, over 60% successfully graduated from the course in 2014 and joined the GCHQ workforce. In September 2013, the nature and scale of the apprenticeship scheme changed as it expanded to become a scheme covering the whole of the SIA: all three of the UK's intelligence Agencies (MI5, SIS and GCHQ) now directly recruit successful graduates from the scheme, which means that the exact number of apprentices each year cannot be openly released for security reasons. I can confirm however that over 160 new apprentices have joined the scheme since 2013, and of these a substantial majority are expected to join GCHQ when they graduate.

GCHQ: Staff

Margaret Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the letter from the National Security Adviser to the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy of 10 March 2016, how many GCHQ staff have been (a) recruited to and (b) completed the CyberFirst scheme.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The CyberFirst scheme was launched in 2015 and met its initial target of awarding 21 bursaries, of which 19 have been taken up and committed to by UK students. Eight of the students are in the first year of their degree, ten are in their second year and one student is in the third year of a four year course. The first students will be able to join the department when they graduate in 2017. As announced by the Minister for the Cabinet Office, we will have 1000 students on the scheme by 2020. During summer 2016, five of the students will attend GCHQ Student Technical Internships, seven will attend the various GCHQ summer technical schools, one will start a 1 year industrial placement at GCHQ and six will attend internships in other government cyber operations.

European Union: Research

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which academic and research bodies, which receive funding from the EU, are routinely used for research on the EU in departmental and ministerial briefings.

Mr David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) draws on information from a wide range of sources when producing departmental and ministerial briefings. The FCO does not collect information on whether the sources used in the preparation of briefings receive funding from the EU.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Private Education

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many staff in his Department were in receipt of Continuity of Education Allowance in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15; and what the cost to his Department was of providing that allowance for staff based (i) in the UK and (ii) overseas in each such year.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The figures requested are attached and as follows: Number of StaffCost CEA HomeCost CEA OverseasTotal2012/2013442£8,736,957£6,189,104£14,926,0612013/2014378£6,727,304£6,435,519£13,162,8232014/2015370£7,193,211£5,749,923£12,943,134 It is a condition of their employment that members of the diplomatic service must be prepared to serve anywhere in the world at any time during their career, sometimes at very short notice. Those with children have a legal obligation as parents to ensure that their children receive a full-time education from the age of five years. Most parents prefer to take their children with them abroad, but in some of the 168 countries where the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has UK based staff, we do not permit staff to take their children for health or security reasons. In others, local schools of an acceptable standard are not available. It is longstanding practice that the FCO helps staff by providing financial support for their children's education in the UK where staff choose this, or are obliged to do so given local conditions in the country to which they are posted.



ND PQ 32313 attachment
(Word Document, 17.04 KB)

Islamic State: Genocide

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide on atrocities committed by Daesh.

Mr Philip Hammond: My officials have regular contact with the Joint Office of the United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide and the Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect. Their discussions cover a range of issues related to preventing genocide and mass atrocities, including the actions of Daesh.The UK provides funding for the Office, including for its work with religious leaders and faith-based organisations in the Middle East and North Africa.

Yemen: Military Intervention

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his oral contribution of 12 January 2016, Official Report, column 697, whether UK personnel provided a quick check on whether the reported airstrike in Yemen on a market place in the Hajjah Governorate had broken international humanitarian law.

Mr Philip Hammond: The role of the UK liaison officers is to maintain an information flow with the Saudi Arabian authorities. We do not comment on the specifics. The Saudi Arabian Government announced on 29 February, that they are forming an independent committee to examine military activity in civilian areas in order to minimise possible civilian casualties; assess the Coalition’s rules of engagement; assess accidents, verification and targeting procedures and advise how they can be improved; and provide a clear, full and objective report for each investigation made including conclusions, lessons learnt and recommendations for future actions.

Russia: Sanctions

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the financial consequences of the EU sanctions on Russia on Serbia.

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Serbian counterpart on the financial consequences of the EU sanctions on Russia on Serbia.

Mr David Lidington: The EU imposed sanctions on Russia in response to the annexation of Crimea and the crisis in Eastern Ukraine. Serbia has not currently imposed sanctions on Russia. No assessment on the financial consequences of EU sanctons on Russia has been made.Neither I, nor the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), have had any disucssions with our Serbian counterparts on the financial consequences to Serbia of EU sanctions on Russia, but the UK Government has regularly encouraged Serbia, as an accession country, to align itself fully with EU foreign policy. The UK Government has not received any represenations from the Serbian government about the impact of EU sanctions on Russia on the Serbian economy.

Yemen: Military Intervention

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the oral Answer of 12 January 2016, Official Report, column 697, what assessment he has made of whether evidence of the reported airstrike in Yemen on a market place in the Hajjah Governorate provides grounds for determining that international humanitarian law has been broken.

Mr Philip Hammond: We are aware of allegations regarding a strike on a market on north-western Yemen in Hajjah Governate on 15 March. The MoD monitors incidents of alleged International Humanitarian Law (IHL) violations, including this incident, using all available information. The UK has encouraged Saudi Arabia to investigate allegations of breaches of IHL. The Saudi Arabian Government announced on 29 February that they are forming an independent committee to examine military activity in civilian areas in order to minimise possible civilian casualties; assess the Coalition’s rules of engagement; assess accidents, verification and targeting procedures and advise how they can be improved; and provide a clear, full and objective report for each investigation made including conclusions, lessons learnt and recommendations for future actions.

Middle East: British Nationals Abroad

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to reports of his remarks in Ankara in January 2016, what recent estimate he has made of the number of UK citizens who have (a) entered and since left, (b) entered and remained in and (c) been prevented from entering (i) Syria and (ii) Iraq since April 2013.

Mr Philip Hammond: Approximately 800 individuals of national security concern have travelled to take part in the Syria conflict since it began. Of these approximately half have returned. As I said when I visited Ankara in January, the UK and Turkey have worked together to prevent the travel of over 600 UK nationals to Syria and Iraq via Turkey.The UK continues to work to prevent the flow of extremist travellers to Iraq and Syria, through domestic measures in the UK, and through co-operation with international partners including Turkey.

South Sudan: Human Rights

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the incidence and nature of human rights violations in South Sudan.

Mr Philip Hammond: The UK is deeply concerned by the deteriorating human rights situation in South Sudan. A range of reports indicate that sexual violence and attacks on civilians remain widespread and that war crimes and/or crimes against humanity may have been committed, if established in a court of law. Bilaterally we are raising our serious concerns directly with the Government of South Sudan and pressing for action. At the regional level we are calling on the African Union to rapidly establish the Hybrid Court for South Sudan. And internationally we are pressing for a UN arms embargo to be put in place. We also undertook extensive lobbying to help secure a new Commission for Human Rights for South Sudan at the UN Human Rights Council in March.

Syria: Peace Negotiations

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the progress made at the recent UN peace talks in Geneva on Syria.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The latest phase of UN-facilitated peace talks on Syria came to a pause in Geneva on 24 March. UN Special Envoy, Staffan de Mistura intends to reconvene the parties after the Easter break. This latest phase continued in the “proximity talks” format rather than direct talks between the parties. During their discussions with the UN Special Envoy, the High Negotiations Committee of the Syrian Opposition presented their plans for political transition. Conversely, we understand that the Syrian regime did not engage on issues of substance during their discussions with the UN Special Envoy. At the conclusion of this round of talks, the UN produced a paper outlining its assessment of the “points of convergence” between the opposition and regime and has invited both sides to consider it before talks resume on or around 10 April.

Egypt: Human Rights

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received of human rights workers being (a) summoned for questioning, (b) banned from travelling and (c) subject to attempts to freeze their personal funds and family assets by the Egyptian authorities.

Mr Philip Hammond: We are concerned about the decreasing space for civil society to operate in Egypt, including for Non Government Organisations (NGOs). Human rights defenders have been subject to measures including questioning, travel bans and judicial applications for asset freezing against individuals and their families. I refer you to the statement made by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of Sate for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood) on 22 March. UK officials have raised our concerns with representatives from the Egyptian Government in both Cairo and London.

Syria: Refugees

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received of injured children trying to leave Syria being turned away at the Jordanian border.

Mr Philip Hammond: We are aware that there are large numbers of refugees being denied access to Jordan at the Jordan/Syria border. Whilst recognising their legitimate security concerns and the need for proper vetting, we have discussed with the Government of Jordan the necessity of prioritising admittance for the sick and injured, including children. Jordan has shown remarkable generosity as host to over 630,000 registered refugees from the Syria conflict. The UK is firmly committed to supporting Jordan. We have contributed over £330 million to help Jordan since the start of the Syria crisis. As co-hosts of the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference held in London this year we helped secure over $12 billion of commitments of further support for those inside Syria and Syria’s neighbours Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey which are bearing the humanitarian weight of the crisis.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Elections

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of elections due to take place in November 2016 on political stability in Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mr Philip Hammond: The Government is concerned that elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) may not take place by the Constitutional deadline in November 2016. We believe that it is still technically possible to hold the elections on time and remain committed to doing what we can to support this process.On 4 March 2016 the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development, my Hon. Friend the Member for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner (Mr Hurd), announced in Kinshasa that the UK was prepared to make available £11.4 million to support the elections provided that certain conditions were met. These conditions include the production of a credible timetable and budget for the elections.We have called upon the Government of the DRC to ensure that political freedoms, freedom of media and speech and human rights are respected to ensure a peaceful and fair environment for the elections. We have also called upon all actors to respect the law and avoid inciting violence and disorder.

Israel: Palestinians

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of recent violence in Israel and the West Bank on relations in that region.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We are deeply concerned by the recent violence in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, which has had a negative impact on relations. Since the start of the current violence, Ministers and officials have spoken regularly to both the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority on the urgent need to de-escalate the tensions. The current violence underlines that a just and lasting resolution that ends the occupation and delivers peace for both Israelis and Palestinians is long overdue.

Yemen: Human Rights

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what investigatory methods his Department uses for reports of potential breaches of international humanitarian law by UK allies in Yemen.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Ministry of Defence monitors incidents of alleged International Humanitarian Law (IHL) violations using all available information which in turn informs our overall assessment of IHL compliance in Yemen. We consider a range of information from government sources, foreign governments, the media and international non-governmental organisations regarding reports of potential breaches of IHL.We regularly raise the importance of compliance with IHL with the Saudi Arabian Government and other members of the military Coalition. The UK is not a member of the Saudi-led Coalition. British personnel are not involved in carrying out strikes, directing or conducting operations in Yemen or selecting targets and are not involved in the Saudi targeting decision-making process. However we have provided training and advice to Saudi Arabia to ensure continued compliance with IHL and minimise civilian casualties.

China: Human Rights

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he expects the UK-China human rights dialogue to take place.

Mr Hugo Swire: The next round of the annual UK-China Human Rights Dialogue will take place in London. The date is still being agreed with the Chinese Government.

China: Human Rights

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which cases of human rights violations against Tibetans he or ministerial colleagues have taken up with their Chinese counterparts in each of the last three years.

Mr Hugo Swire: Over the course of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogues held in Beijing in April 2015 and in London in 2014, senior officials raised the cases of 22 Tibetans detained by the Chinese authorities. We also raised the full range of our wider human rights concerns on Tibet at each of these rounds, including allegations of torture, freedom of expression, right to a fair trial and freedom of religion or belief. A round of the Human Rights Dialogue was not held in 2013.

Saudi Arabia: Arms Trade

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make it his policy to end arms exports to Saudi Arabia.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The UK Government takes its arms export responsibilities very seriously and operates one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world. All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking account of all relevant factors at the time of the application. A licence will not be issued for any country, including Saudi Arabia, if to do so would be inconsistent with any provision of the mandatory Criteria.The Government is satisfied that extant licences for Saudi Arabia are compliant with the UK’s export licensing criteria.

Pakistan: Foreign Relations

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of UK relations with Pakistan; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: As I saw for myself, and as demonstrated my Rt Hon. Friend the member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Philip Hammond) the Foreign Secretary's visit to Islamabad and Lahore last month, the UK and Pakistan are joined by strong bonds of friendship and partnership. Our bilateral relationship is underpinned by extensive trade, investment and cultural cooperation. The UK will continue to stand beside the Government of Pakistan as it builds a more secure, prosperous and democratic future for all its citizens.

Yemen: Human Rights

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2016 to Question 31488, how many British officials who have provided advice to Saudi Arabia's internal investigation into the breaking of international humanitarian law in Yemen have visited Yemen as part of this investigation; and where each of those officials was based.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We will provide advice to the independent committee that will assess Saudi Arabian military activity in Yemen, drawing on a range of information as required. Our Embassy operations in Yemen are suspended and since March 2011 Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice has consistently advised against all travel to Yemen.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

William Wragg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the prospects for the Middle East peace process.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We remain focused on steps which will secure progress towards a two-state solution. We continue to believe that the best way to achieve this is through negotiations. We are in close consultation with international partners about what kind of renewed process might lead to progress.

Yemen: Armed Conflict

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information he holds on the number of civilians (a) killed and (b) injured in the Yemen conflict to date.

Mr Philip Hammond: The UN reports that between 26 March 2015 and 17 March 2016 there have been just under 9,000 casualties in Yemen including 3,218 civilians killed and a further 5,778 injured. The UK Government uses UN reports as one of its primary data sources.

Attorney General

Government Departments: Legal Opinion

John Stevenson: To ask the Attorney General, whether his Department plans to move any government legal services to the north of England.

Jeremy Wright: The Government Legal Department (GLD) provides legal services to Ministry of Justice, as well as to the majority of other government departments. GLD provides these services to Government principally from London, but also from a number of other locations including Manchester, Leeds, Warrington and Bristol. GLD is currently reviewing its location strategy, including whether it should provide further legal services from locations outside London, but has made no decision to that effect.

Prosecutions and Convictions

Karl Turner: To ask the Attorney General, if he will place in the Library data gathered by Crown Prosecution Service Business Area of prosecutions and convictions for (a) rape-flagged offences, (b) domestic violence, (c) child abuse and (d) human trafficking for each year since 2013.

Jeremy Wright: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a central record of the number of prosecutions and convictions in each CPS business area flagged as rape, domestic violence, child abuse and human trafficking. The attached tables show the volume of defendants prosecuted and convicted in flagged cases for each CPS business area over the last three financial years for which data is available. These also include a number of caveats and explanatory notes which should be observed when reviewing the data. Data for 2015/16 will be published later this year and will be placed in the House of Commons library.



CPS prosecutions
(Excel SpreadSheet, 21.17 KB)

Prosecutions

Karl Turner: To ask the Attorney General, if he will place in the Library the number of cases of (a) rape, (b) domestic violence, (c) child abuse and (d) human trafficking referred by each police force in England and Wales to each regional division of the Crown Prosecution Service in (i) 2014 and (ii) 2015.

Jeremy Wright: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains a central record of the numbers of suspects referred by the police to each CPS business area of cases flagged as involving allegations of rape, domestic violence, child abuse and human trafficking. The attached tables show the volumes of referrals for 2013/14 and 2014/15. The tables are accompanied by a number of caveats and explanatory notes which should be observed when reviewing the data. Data for 2015/16 will be published later this year and will be placed in the House of Commons Library. 



CPS referrals
(Excel SpreadSheet, 16.39 KB)

Directors: Disqualification

Karl Turner: To ask the Attorney General, how many directors of companies were disqualified as a result of a criminal investigation by the Serious Fraud Office in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.

Jeremy Wright: In 2014-15, seven individuals were disqualified from acting as company directors following investigations by the Serious Fraud Office; and one was disqualified in 2013-14.

Prosecutions

Karl Turner: To ask the Attorney General, what proportion of all defendants charged with (a) rape, (b) sexual offences other than rape and (c) domestic violence were aged (i) 14 to 17, (ii) 18 to 24, (iii) 25 to 34, (iv) 35 to 44, (v) 45 to 54, (vi) 55 to 64 and (vii) over 65 in the last 12 months.

Jeremy Wright: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains both a central record of defendants in cases flagged as rape or domestic abuse and, additionally, the number whose principal offence at finalisation was categorised as a sexual offence other than rape. These data can be disaggregated with reference to a series of ‘age bands’ based on the defendant’s date of birth at the time their proceeding was registered onto the CPS’ digital case management system (CMS). It is not possible to separately report the individual ages within each band. The attached tables show the latest published data available (2014-15) on the number and proportion of defendants prosecuted, by age band, for (a) rape, (b) sexual offences other than rape and (c) domestic abuse. 



CPS prosecutions rape and DV
(Excel SpreadSheet, 13.65 KB)

Fraud

Karl Turner: To ask the Attorney General, how many tip-offs were made to the Serious Fraud Office tip-off line in each year since 2010.

Jeremy Wright: The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) launched its dedicated reporting channel on 1 November 2011. The service was intended to encourage reports of serious or complex fraud by whistleblowers and accepted referrals by post, email and telephone. The SFO decided to close the telephone element of the service on 12 June 2012 because a disproportionate amount of staff time was being spent dealing with telephone calls that did not contribute to this aim. The total number of calls, emails and other referrals through the channel in each year since it was established is shown in the table below. These figures may include multiple reports from single individuals, or multiple referrals about the same matter received from different individuals. Referrals made through the dedicated reporting channel in November and December 2011 were not counted separately from other referrals to the SFO in those months. YearTotal number of reports20122,73120132,99620143,00120153,163 The SFO now offers guidance on its website as to how the public may best report any information it may have about fraud to the most appropriate law enforcement authority, including Action Fraud, which is the UK’s central reporting mechanism for fraud and cyber crime.The SFO continues to receive and assess reports from the public sent directly to it via the online reporting tool, by email or post, or referred to it by other law enforcement and regulatory bodies.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Public Expenditure

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will publish the review carried out by McKinsey and Company into his Department's budget.

Joseph Johnson: The Department will not be publishing the McKinsey work on the grounds that to do so would be likely to reduce the Government’s ability to protect the policy-making process and maintain the delivery of effective Government.

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 16 February 2016 to Question 26010, when he plans to establish a reading room for hon. Members to access Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership documents.

Anna Soubry: The reading room for classified documents, including consolidated texts, relating to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is not yet open. Members of both Houses will be informed of the process and details of how to access the room during April, once these have been finalised.

Apprentices

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of the three million apprenticeships planned by 2020 are expected to be at (a) degree and (b) masters level.

Nick Boles: The Department does not currently publish forecasts for Apprenticeship starts by level. Information on the actual number of Apprenticeship starts reported to date, by individual level, is published as a supplementary table (first link) to a Statistical First Release (second link). https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/509999/apprenticeships-starts-by-framework-type-and-level.xls https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/learner-participation-outcomes-and-level-of-highest-qualification-held

Apprentices

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether Equivalent or Lower Level Qualifications are exempted under (a) degree and (b) Masters level apprenticeships.

Nick Boles: There are no centrally set entry requirements for apprenticeships; recruitment decisions lie with employers. As with any other job, they may set their own entry requirements for a specific apprenticeship vacancy at any level. Apprenticeship funding supports individuals to progress to higher levels of learning. A graduate who has completed a degree is not usually eligible for funding to complete an apprenticeship at Level 6 (degree), but would be eligible for funding to progress to an apprenticeship at Level 7 (Masters). A graduate with a Master’s degree would not normally be eligible for funding for an apprenticeship. The only exception to this is where the apprentice starts a new job role which is in a different occupation requiring a significant amount of new learning to take place, delivered over the minimum duration for the standard. In this case the apprentice would be eligible for funding for an apprenticeship at the same level, but no lower than, their current highest qualification.

European Social Fund

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of how much European Social Fund funding will be allocated to local enterprise partnerships by the end of March (a) 2017 and (b) 2018.

Anna Soubry: Information on the combined allocation for European Social Fund and European Regional Development Fund to each Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) area for the 2014-20 period can be found on the GOV.UK website at ‘EU Structural Funds: UK allocations 2014 to 2020’. Each LEP area was asked to prepare a strategy setting out its priorities for how its allocation should be spent, including how much should come from the European Social Fund. Information on the individual LEP area Strategies for 2014-20 can be found on the website ‘The Network of LEPs-LEP Network’, searching by European funding.

European Social Fund

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 8 February 2016 to Question 25741, what criteria the Government plans to use to allocate the funds secured from the European Social Fund for the period 2014-2020.

Anna Soubry: EU regulations require the United Kingdom to spend at least 45.9 per cent of its national allocation for structural funds for the period 2014-2020 on the European Social Fund (ESF). The United Kingdom’s Partnership Agreement with the European Commission, which can be found on GOV.UK at ‘European Structural and Investment Funds: UK Partnership Agreement’, sets out how the requirement was met. Within England, notional allocations for the European Regional Development Fund and ESF were made on the basis of Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) areas. The total allocations to each LEP area for the 2014-2020 period can be found on the GOV.UK website at ‘EU Structural Funds: UK allocations 2014 to 2020’. Each LEP area was asked how much it wanted to devote to the ESF, drawing on guidance issued by Government to ensure compliance with the regulatory requirements at national level. The guidance can also be found on the GOV.UK website. Iinformation on the Strategies for 2014-2020 prepared by each LEP area can be found on the website ‘The Network of LEPs-LEP Network’, searching by European funding. These set out how much each proposed should be spent on ESF in their area. Management of EU structural funds is devolved. The Devolved Administrations decide the criteria for allocation of ESF within their remits, taking account of the need to meet EU regulatory requirements.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Apprentices

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of civil service apprentices in his Department are (a) over the age of 25 and (b) paid at the rate of the national living wage.

Joseph Johnson: The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills HQ has (a) 45% of its apprentices who are over the age of 25 and (b) all of its apprentices are paid at a rate which exceeds the National Living Wage.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Apprentices

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many civil service apprentices have been appointed by his Department to date.

Joseph Johnson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Science: Job Creation

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many jobs each of the 56 science capital projects his Department has funded since 2007 has created.

Joseph Johnson: BIS’s investment in science capital projects supports the UK’s world class research base, which directly employed around 260,000 researchers in 2013 and delivers a significant return to the economy. Further jobs are supported by investment, for example through construction of advanced facilities or improved Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths skills. However, job creation is not the primary aim of science capital projects, and has not been measured for each project, so it is not possible to provide the information requested. The Government recognises that research is vital to our wellbeing and future economic success. This is why the science capital budget was increased to £1.1bn in 2015/16 and will rise with inflation to a total of £6.9bn over the period 2015 to 2021.

Education: Young People

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of people between 18 and 24 from each social background defined by their father's occupation are participating in full or part-time education or training activity.

Nick Boles: A BIS performance indicator showing the proportion of people aged 18-24 participating in full or part-time education or training broken down by social background defined by their father’s occupation is published online.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bis-performance-indicators-skills

Students: Loans

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much the Student Loans Company and HM Revenue and Customs spent on maintaining and collecting student loan repayments in each year for which data is available.

Joseph Johnson: The Student Loans Company (SLC) and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have spent the following on maintaining and collecting income contingent repayments since the financial year 2011-12:  Student Loans CompanyHM Revenue and CustomsFY 2011-12£15.7m£5.6mFY 2012-13£15.6m£6.4mFY 2013-14£18.6m£5.5mFY 2014-15£18.5m£5.8mFY 2015-16£20.9m (forecast)£6.3m (forecast) The figures in the table above include both the direct costs and associated ICT and back office overheads incurred by SLC and HMRC in maintaining and collecting income contingent repayments.

Science: Infrastructure

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make it his policy to conduct a systematic analysis of existing science and research-based infrastructure in the UK for the purpose of guiding his Department's future investment priorities.

Joseph Johnson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is considering the National Audit Office’s recent report on capital investment in science projects, and will respond in due course. All funding decisions are subject to BIS and HM Treasury’s rigorous scrutiny process and must pass a robust business case process before spending is approved.

Minimum Wage

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what progress his Department has made on implementing its plans to impose financial penalties of up to £20,000 per worker against companies who fail to pay the national minimum wage.

Nick Boles: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Further Education: Higher Education

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many part-time students have taken higher education qualifications at a further education college in each of the last five years.

Joseph Johnson: Information provided by the Higher Education Funding Council in England (HEFCE) on the number of part-time students undertaking a higher education qualification at English further education colleges between the 2011/12 and 2013/14 academic years is presented in the table. Information for the 2014/15 and 2015/16 academic years is not yet available. Students enrolled in Part-time Higher EducationEnglish Further Education CollegesAcademic Years 2011/12 to 2013/14Academic YearStudents2011/1251,8552012/1340,3402013/1436,675 Source: HEFCE analysis of the HESA Student Record and the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) Individualised Learner Record (ILR)Notes:(1) Figures have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 5 (2) Includes students enrolled across all years of study The reasons for the decline in part-time higher education are complex. However, the Government is taking steps to support part-time study. For the first time, we will provide financial support to part-time students equivalent to the support we give to full-time students. We will consult on introducing full-time equivalent maintenance loans alongside the tuition fee loans we introduced for part-time students in 2012. We are also relaxing the “ELQ” restriction introduced in 2008 so that people can get a second degree if they want to re-train on a part-time STEM course.

Higher Education

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of higher education students continued to (a) further study and (b) employment when leaving (i) university and (ii) a further education  college in each of the last five years.

Joseph Johnson: Research by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) into the destinations of leavers from Higher Education by provider type was published as part of the report ‘Destination of Leavers from Higher Education in Further Education Colleges’. The report includes breakdowns of the activities leavers were engaged in six months after leaving their course and refers to the academic years 2008/09 to 2010/11.http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/year/2013/201301/ More recent data showing combined employment and study rates has been published by HEFCE as part of the series ‘Higher Education Indicators for Further Education Colleges’. The most recent analysis covers the 2011/12 and 2012/13 academic years.http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/year/2016/201601/

Students: Age

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the average age is of students studying for their first higher education qualification in (a) universities and (b)  further education colleges.

Joseph Johnson: Information provided by the Higher Education Funding Council in England (HEFCE) on the age distribution of undergraduate entrants to Higher Education, by type of teaching provider in the 2013/14 academic year, is presented in the table. Undergraduate Entrants to Higher Education by Type of Teaching Provider and AgeEnglish Higher Education Institutions and Further Education CollegesAcademic Year 2013/14Teaching InstitutionAge on entryNumber of entrantsPercentage of totalHigher Education InstitutionLess than 21316,93560%21 to 2475,85014%Greater than 24138,41526%Total531,200-Further Education CollegeLess than 2125,69544%21 to 2412,74522%Greater than 2420,20534%Total58,645- Source: HEFCE analysis of the HESA Student Record and the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) Individualised Learner Record (ILR)Notes:(1) Figures have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 5 (2) Entrants refers to students starting their courses during the academic year

Further Education: Higher Education

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what average annual tuition fee is charged by further education colleges for higher education courses.

Joseph Johnson: The Office for Fair Access (OFFA) publishes an annual statistical report summarising the access agreements with Higher Education providers. This report includes estimates of the average fees charged by provider type. The latest statistics refer to the 2015/16 academic year and show that the average fee for the 51 English Further Education Colleges (FECs) with Access Agreements in the 2015/16 academic year was £6,941. Their estimate of the average fee across all 209 FECs was £6,561. More information is available at the following link: https://www.offa.org.uk/publications/analysis-data-and-progress-reports/

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Grants

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he takes to monitor the economic effect of projects his Department has funded.

Anna Soubry: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has taken a number of steps to embed systematic monitoring of our policies and programmes, including economic effects. The Department’s vision for monitoring and evaluation is outlined in our Evaluation Strategy, found on the GOV.UK website. In particular: For all new spending the Department ensures fit for purpose monitoring and evaluation plans are embedded before policy implementation.The Department publishes an updated summary of the monitoring and evaluation coverage for each policy area on an annual basis. The BIS Evaluation Plan 2016 was published in January and is the second annual publication of BIS’s evaluation coverage, also found on the GOV.UK website.

Vocational Education: Hearing Impairment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to make (a) apprenticeships and (b) vocational education accessible for young people with hearing impairments.

Nick Boles: Apprenticeships are paid jobs and employers make the final recruitment decisions about apprentices. We want to ensure that people from a diverse range of backgrounds are in the best possible place to apply for and secure an apprenticeship. We encourage the use of reasonable adjustments to support apprentices with disabilities, who are also able to apply for Access to Work funding. These are in place within GCSE and Functional Skills qualifications and can include extra time, use of speech recognition technology, a reader, a sign language interpreter and modified papers (such as braille or enlarged text). Advice is also available to help employers and training providers to understand how best to support disabled apprentices. A toolkit is available at http://www.employer-toolkit.org.uk/. The Government fully funds apprenticeship training for all 16-18 year olds and for apprentices who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan) aged 19-24. Apprentices aged 19 to 24 without an EHC Plan, who have a learning difficulty and/or disability can benefit from additional funding through Learning Support. This can cover a range of needs including funding to pay for specialist equipment or helpers; and arranging signers or note takers. The Department provides Learning Support funding to colleges and providers to help them meet the additional needs of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, including learners who have a hearing impairment, and meet the costs of reasonable adjustments as set out in the Equality Act 2010.

Public Houses: Closures

Mr Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the number of public houses which have gone out of business since 1 July 2007.

Anna Soubry: The Government does not compile statistics on pub closures and has made no estimate of the number of pubs that have closed.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Private Education

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many staff in his Department were in receipt of Continuity of Education Allowance in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15; and what the cost to his Department was of providing that allowance for staff based (i) in the UK and (ii) overseas in each such year.

Joseph Johnson: Continuity of Education Allowances are not paid to any staff in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills at present or in the past.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Cost Effectiveness

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how the proposed cost savings outlined in the BIS 2020 programme have been calculated; and what estimate he has made of projected savings of relocating staff from the office in Sheffield to London.

Joseph Johnson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has committed to delivering 30-40% reductions in the Department’s operating expenditure which equates to around £350m by 2020. Savings of this magnitude can only be delivered by changing the Department’s overall business model so that it is simpler, cheaper and better for users of BIS services. This involves reducing the number of offices, our number of partner bodies, and our headcount as well as rationalising customer support, grant giving and digital service delivery. The proposed move of policy teams into a single centre and proposed closure of the Sheffield office forms part of a larger programme to change our business model.

Employment Agencies

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what information his Department holds on the number of agency workers in each of the last 10 years.

Nick Boles: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Sheffield

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether his Department has undertaken a cost-benefit analysis of retaining  his Department's office at St Paul's Palace, Sheffield.

Joseph Johnson: I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 27113 from the Hon Member for Sheffield Central.

Universities: China

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which universities have opened a Confucius Institute on campus; and what guidance he has issued to those universities on relations with the Chinese government.

Joseph Johnson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Universities: China

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what information his Department holds on the powers of appointment of university vice-chancellors for staff working in Confucius Institutes on their university campus.

Joseph Johnson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Shipping: Minimum Wage

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to improve national minimum wage enforcement in the shipping industry.

Nick Boles: The application of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) for seafarers continues to be considered by the cross-Government working group which is reviewing the implementation of the Equality Act 2010 (Work on Ships and Hovercraft) Regulations 2011. The Government is working with key stakeholders through this working group to agree and finalise revised guidance on the NMW for seafarers which will be published in spring 2016. The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone who is entitled to receive the NMW does so, and we have committed to increasing the enforcement budget again this year in order to secure that aim. HM Revenue and Customs will investigate all NMW complaints from workers.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Greater London

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when the rent review will take place on 1 Victoria Street; and what plans he has to publish the results of that review.

Joseph Johnson: The due date for the rent review is 1st January 2016.In line with standard commercial practice there are no specific plans to publish the results.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Sheffield

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions he has had with staff at his Department's office at 2 St Paul's Place, Sheffield, since the announcement of the proposed closure of that office.

Joseph Johnson: The responsibility for running the Department, including personnel issues lies with the Permanent Secretary and the BIS Executive Board. The Permanent Secretary went to Sheffield in January to inform staff of the intention to close the Sheffield office and to answer questions. Since then, many of the Department’s Directors and Directors-General have visited the Sheffield office to discuss the proposals, answer questions and provide support to affected staff.

Social Services: Minimum Wage

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2016 to Question 29835, and with reference to the Answer of 10 June 2013 to Question 158962, for what reasons information on the number of national minimum wage inquiries made to the Pay and Work Rights and Acas helplines relating to the domiciliary care and residential care sectors is not being collected at the previously available level of disaggregation.

Nick Boles: Information on the number of National Minimum Wage enquiries made to the Pay and Work Rights Helpline (PWRH) and Acas Helpline for the ‘domiciliary care’ and ‘residential care’ sectors has never been systematically collected. However, additional information about a complaint is collected after it is referred to HMRC and investigated further. This can include more detailed information on the sector in which the employer in question operates.

Further Education: Greater London

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 1 March 2016 to Question 21634, when he plans to deposit in the Library information on the end of year budget surplus or deficit for each further education college in London in each financial year since 2010-11.

Nick Boles: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he plans to Answer Question 26990, tabled on 11 February 2016 by the hon. Member for Glasgow South West.

Nick Boles: I apologise to the hon Member for the delay. I will reply as soon as possible.

Department for International Development

Ethiopia: Food Supply

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2016 to Question 27899, what recent assessment she has made of the food security situation in Ethiopia.

Mr Nick Hurd: Responding to the food security situation in Ethiopia is a top priority. DFID has already committed £40 million to provide food aid to 3.8 million people in 2016, as part of its overall £113 million response since the onset of the drought last July. Across the country, 18 million people are in need of food assistance. Failed rains and the El Niño effect have caused the worst drought in Ethiopia in 30 years. This has resulted in reduced crop yields and numerous livestock deaths – increasing the country’s dependence on food aid. Plans are in place to provide monthly food rations until June from various sources, including the UN, donors, and the Government. The Government of Ethiopia has committed over $381 million (~£269 million) so far, which is its largest ever response to a drought. However, systems are currently stretched and the scale of the crisis means that further resources are needed to meet monthly food distribution needs from June onwards. We continue to work closely with the Government of Ethiopia to support their leadership of the humanitarian response.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Yemen; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Desmond Swayne: The United Nations report that 21.2 million people in Yemen require some kind of humanitarian assistance to meet their basic needs or protect their fundamental rights, as cited in the 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP). The government uses this UN report as one if its primary data sources.We continue to call on other donors to step up. In July 2015 the Foreign and Development Secretaries wrote to international donors to raise the profile of Yemen’s humanitarian crisis and encourage more funding to the response. In September, the Development Secretary co-hosted a meeting on Yemen’s humanitarian crisis at the UN General Assembly, at which donors (including the UK) pledged an additional £85 million.The Co-Chairs statement from the meeting can be found here: http://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/co-chairs-statement-ministerial-yemen-meeting-monday-28-september-2015

Libya: Humanitarian Aid

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2016 to Question 31131, for what reason the amount of financial assistance her Department has provided to UNOCHA for its work in Libya since 1 April 2015 was not supplied in that Answer.

Mr Desmond Swayne: DFID has provided £19,867 to support UNOCHA for its work in Libya since 1 April 2015. This was to provide surge support for coordination to UNOCHA during the production of the Humanitarian Response Plan. The secondment came to a close unexpectedly early. Following a decision by OCHA not to replace the coordinator, we have used some of the remaining funds to second an Emergency Health Sector Coordinator within WHO since November 2015 at a cost of £34,614 in response to priority needs. In addition, we are currently brokering a further surge secondment to OCHA and at this point in time the costs are not finalised.

Nigeria: Internally Displaced People

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to assist the Nigerian government to support access for internally displaced children in that country to (a) education and (b) healthcare.

Mr Nick Hurd: In education, DFID is supporting the Government of Nigeria’s Safe Schools Initiative, which aims to restore safe access to learning for children affected by conflict. The Initiative has supported over 90,000 displaced children to return to school, providing learning materials and training teachers on psychosocial support. In health, DFID is supporting the International Committee of the Red Cross, who have helped restore basic health care services for 225,000 people affected by conflict, and provided 150,000 immunisations for children. All of our programmes, including those that assist internally displaced children, work with government authorities and other donors to influence national plans and strategies, and to strengthen education and health systems.

Developing Countries: Double Taxation

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many full-time members of staff her Department employs in renegotiating tax treaties with developing countries.

Mr Desmond Swayne: Negotiation of UK tax treaties is a matter for HM Revenue and Customs.

Overseas Aid

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of the UK aid budget will be allocated as (a) grants and (b) loans in 2016-17.

Mr Desmond Swayne: The information requested is not available for 2016-17.

Palestinian Authority: Overseas Aid

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what reports she has received on the use of aid disbursed to the Palestinian Authority for purposes related to terrorist activity.

Mr Desmond Swayne: UK direct financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority (PA) is used to pay the salaries of civil servant and pensioners. Our support is provided through a multi-donor trust fund administered by the World Bank, which carries out close monitoring of PA expenditure. Only named civil servants from a pre-approved EU list are eligible, and the vetting process ensures that our funds do not benefit terrorist groups. The process is subject to independent auditing.

Uganda: Malaria

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what progress her Department has made in its programme to increase the use of Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets among children under five years of age and pregnant women in Uganda.

Mr Nick Hurd: Results from the 2014-15 internationally recognised Malaria Indicator Survey indicate that the proportion of children under five in Uganda who slept under treated nets had gone up from 42% in 2009 to 74%; and that the proportion of pregnant women who slept under a treated net had gone up from 47% in 2009 to 75%. The UK has been a significant contributor to bed nets in Uganda. We have funded procurement and distribution of 5 million bed nets and distributed an additional 4.5 million bed nets.

Uganda: Development aid

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the outcomes have been of her Department's programme of post-conflict development in Northern Uganda.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Post-Conflict Development Programme for Northern Uganda aims to improve service delivery in health, support the most vulnerable and help young people find employment, amongst other activities. This is in line with the new UK Aid Strategy which includes tackling the root causes of instability and conflict. Some of the main achievements include:Training 15,000 youth in vocational skills.Training 14,000 youth in entrepreneurialism.Construction of 1,738 homes for health workers and teachers to allow them to provide vital services in an under-served region, and reduce drivers of instability.Testing 60,992 children under five with high fevers for Malaria and providing treatment for those who were shown to be infected.Providing 10,000 food transfers in return for work to families at risk of malnutrition and unable to access employment opportunities due to the post conflict environment.

Uganda: Malaria

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of her Department's programmes in the eight districts of the Central Region of Uganda in preventing the spread of malaria.

Mr Nick Hurd: DFID works with UNICEF in the Central Region of Uganda on a programme to prevent the spread of malaria. As part of this, the Integrated Community Case Management programme is improving access to testing and treatment for children under five with high fever. This is an important intervention in preventing the spread of malaria and reducing deaths related to malaria and other treatable diseases. Results from the 2014-15 internationally recognised Malaria Indicator Survey showed that the prevalence of malaria in children in the central region where the eight districts are located had reduced from 39.1% in 2009 to 10.5%. This is largely as a result of targeted interventions including the programme funded by DFID and implemented by UNICEF.

Uganda: Development aid

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the outcome has been of its programme to improve the effect of public expenditure on the quality of service delivery and poverty reduction in Uganda.

Mr Nick Hurd: Supporting public financial management is essential in promoting accountability and ensuring the efficient use of public resources to drive poverty reduction, as well as being fundamental in the fight against corruption.The Financial Management and Accountability Programme (FINMAP) works across the public financial management system. The programme has registered a number of achievements. The Public Finance Act was passed by Parliament in November 2014 thanks to technical support provided by FINMAP. A new Government of Uganda Public Financial Management reform strategy for 2014–2018 was launched in August 2014. The programme has also strengthened the Office of the Auditor General.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of barriers to humanitarian agencies reaching people in need in Yemen.

Mr Desmond Swayne: Conflict is making humanitarian access within Yemen extremely difficult. Humanitarian agencies report that they are constrained in reaching areas of greatest humanitarian need and delivering assistance for a number of reasons including bureaucratic requirements imposed by the authorities, access challenges for international staff, insecurity in a number of districts, and a proliferation of checkpoints across the country. We continue to urge all parties to the conflict to take all reasonable steps to facilitate rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access. We work with trusted and impartial partners such as UN agencies and NGOs who have good access and a strong track record of delivering and monitoring assistance in difficult and dangerous places.

Overseas Aid

William Wragg: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking ensure that UK overseas aid is spent effectively and transparently.

Mr Desmond Swayne: As set out in the aid strategy, UK aid: tackling global challenges in the national interest, the government will ensure that every penny of money spent delivers value for taxpayers, and projects that do not will be cancelled. Departments follow good financial management principles set out in HM Treasury guidance in ‘Managing Public Money’ for all their expenditure. In addition, ODA spend is subject to scrutiny by the Independent Commission for Aid Impact. The UK Aid Strategy also commits all departments to achieving greater levels of transparency in aid spend. DFID has robust internal processes such as strong ministerial oversight, mandatory reviews on all programmes, detailed management information for use at all levels of the organisation including on project performance and quality. Other departments will have their own arrangements and DFID will continue to share good practice advice with them.

AIDS: Conferences

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which (a) ministers and (b) officials of her Department will be present at the International Aids Conference in Durban in July 2016.

Mr Nick Hurd: The UK government will be represented at the International AIDS Conference in Durban in July 2016. Precise attendance has still to be finalised.

Department for Education

Students: Transport

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans for the statutory guidance for local authorities, entitled Post-16 transport to education and training, next to be reviewed to take account of the raising of the education and training participation age to 18; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The statutory guidance for local authorities on post-16 transport was updated in February 2014; it is reviewed annually and updated if necessary. The updated guidance includes information on the raising of the participation age, along with a link to local authority guidance on participation.The statutory responsibility for transport to education and training for 16- to 19-year-olds rests with local authorities who we expect to make reasonable decisions about the support they offer based on the needs of their young people, local transport infrastructure and the resources they have available.Most young people have access to some kind of discount or concession on bus or train travel, either from their local authority, local transport providers, or from their school or college. The 16 to 19 Bursary Fund is also available to support young people with the costs associated with attending education or training, and transport is the biggest single area of expenditure for which this fund is used.

Centre for Holocaust Education

Keir Starmer: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to provide long-term funding for the UCL Centre for Holocaust Education.

Nick Gibb: Every young person should learn about the Holocaust and the lessons it teaches us today. In recognition of its significance, the Holocaust is the only historic event which is compulsory within the national curriculum.Since 2008, the Department for Education has funded UCL Institute of Education’s Centre for Holocaust Education which has seen more than 7,000 teachers benefit from their programme since 2011.The Department has renewed the funding for 2016-17 and will continue to do all it can to promote, support and fund teaching of the Holocaust.

Free School Meals

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether it is her policy that all children in households in receipt of Universal Credit will be entitled to free school meals.

Mr Sam Gyimah: We will continue to ensure that all children from the poorest families benefit from a free school meal. The introduction of Universal Credit and simplification of the benefits system mean that the eligibility criteria for free school meals will need to be updated. The Department for Education is continuing to work closely with the Department for Work and Pensions on this. In the meantime, while this work is on-going, any child whose parent or guardian is receiving Universal Credit will continue to be entitled to free school meals.

Children in Care: Mental Illness

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2016 to Question 29817, whether her Department holds information on the number of children who have been further assessed after the strength and difficulties questionnaire score suggested that there may be a problem with that child's mental health.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Department does not hold information on the number of children who have undergone further assessment following the completion of a Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).The Government has made available £1.4 billion over five years to implement the blueprint set out in Future in mind to transform children’s mental health services, including for those looked after and other vulnerable groups. Together with the Department of Health and working with NHS England and others we are establishing an expert group to develop care pathways that will support an integrated approach to meeting the mental health needs of looked-after children.

Children's Play: Special Educational Needs

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the conclusion of the report from the charity Sense, Making the case for play, published in February 2016, that a misguided interpretation and approach to health and safety is creating a barrier to accessing play settings and activities for children with multiple needs.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The government recognises that play has an important role in supporting all young children to develop and prepare for later learning, and the Early Years Foundation Stage is clear that “practitioners must consider the individual needs, interests, and stage of development of each child in their care… to plan a challenging and enjoyable experience for each child in all of the areas of learning and development.” Health and safety should not create a barrier to accessing play activities for children with multiple needs.The staff working in early years settings as Early Years Educators (level 3) and Early Years Teachers (graduates) are required to have an understanding of different pedagogical approaches, including the role of play in supporting early learning and development. The criteria for the Early Years Educator and standards for Early Years Teacher Status qualifications are set by the department. However, it is the responsibility of early years settings to provide play opportunities for their children and pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).Ofsted conducts a regular cycle of inspection to ensure that provision meets the required quality and safety standards and assesses the extent to which the learning and care provided by the setting meets the needs of the range of children who attend, including the needs of any children who have SEND.The Childcare Act 2016 expands the free childcare entitlement from 15 to 30 hours for three- and four-year-olds of working parents. As part of the Early Implementer Package announced on 2 February 2016, local authorities involved will be using the opportunity to test and showcase how childcare can be delivered in a way that improves access for children with SEND. The department also launched a consultation on 3 April 2016 seeking views on key elements of the operation and delivery of the 30 hours and we welcome views on provision for children with SEND. The consultation is available on GOV.UK at: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/30-hour-free-childcare-entitlement

Teachers: GCE A-level

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what evidence her Department holds on the relationship between the A-level grades achieved by prospective teachers and their later performance in the classroom.

Nick Gibb: Evidence, including a seminal McKinsey study from 2007 (How the world’s best-performing schools come out on top), shows that teacher quality and impact cannot be predicted by a single factor such as A-Level grades, but result from a complex combination of factors including academic achievement combined with characteristics and attributes such as communication skills, willingness to learn and motivation to teach.The Teachers’ Standards, developed by a group of leading teachers and heads, clearly define the core elements of effective teaching – including strong subject knowledge and the promotion of scholarship, as well as skills such as classroom management. All new teachers must demonstrate that they are meeting the standards at the end of their initial training.It is important that providers of initial teacher training are able to select and recruit candidates on the basis of their potential and their academic achievement to date; this is why we are giving schools much greater say in recruiting and training candidates who can be successful in the classroom. This year, over half of all postgraduate trainees are coming through school-led routes.

Curriculum: Digital Technology

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what requirements or guidelines her Department issues on the reference or inclusion of digital and online resources in the curriculum (a) in general and (b) for students without access to broadband at home.

Nick Gibb: The National Curriculum, introduced from September 2014, focuses on the essential knowledge that teachers should teach, not on how they should teach it.Schools are best placed to decide which resources meet their needs and to secure these accordingly. Wherever possible, the development of new resources and training should be sector-led, with schools prioritising their use of funding in their budgets in order to best exploit the opportunities offered by the new National Curriculum.The Government is in favour of schools embracing digital technology in order to improve educational outcomes. We want to see schools making informed decisions about what and how technology will best meet their specific needs, keeping in mind that pedagogy should drive the use of technology.Where teachers use digital resources in the curriculum, we would expect them to take into account the circumstances of all pupils and make appropriate provision for those without access to broadband at home.

Further Education

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect of her Department's reform of AS and A-level qualifications on the number of hours of study students are undertaking in post-16 education.

Nick Gibb: The number of guided learning hours for AS and A levels have not changed as a result of our reforms. However, with the move to linear qualifications, there will no longer be the routine and automatic external assessment of students at the end of year 12 which places unnecessary burdens on students’ and teachers’ time.Study programmes are funded per student rather than per qualification. Funding rates are based on an average of 600 hours per year of planned activities per student.

Further Education

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2016 to Question 29811, on further education, how many meetings have been held for area reviews in (a) Birmingham and Solihull, (b) Greater Manchester, (c) Sheffield City Region, (d) Tees Valley, (e) Sussex, (f) Solent and (g) West Yorkshire in each of the last nine months.

Nick Boles: A wide range of meetings are held within each area review, which is a locally owned process designed to meet the needs of each local area. Bilateral meetings will often take place, for instance, between individual colleges which might be exploring restructuring options. Local stakeholders will often meet in smaller groupings to discuss particular issues or themes, for example local enterprise partnerships and local authorities may have set up separate meetings. Additionally, some local stakeholders will seek meetings to ensure their involvement at particular points, for example local MPs once recommendations emerge.The number and type of meetings are likely to vary with each review, depending on local provision, circumstances and issues as well as local interest in engaging with the review work. The following focuses on the formal meetings which are a core part of the area review process and would therefore be consistent across the country.A number of formal area review steering group meetings have taken place in each area since September 2015. No steering group meetings were held prior to September 2015. Meetings held between September 2015 and March 2016 are as follows:In Birmingham and Solihull, one meeting was held in each of the following months: September, October, November, December, January and March. In Greater Manchester, one meeting was held in each of the following months: September, November and December. In Sheffield City Region, one meeting was held in each of the following months: September, November, December and March. In Tees Valley, one meeting was held in each of the following months: October, November, December, February and March. In Sussex, one meeting was held in each of the following months: October, December, January, February and March. In the Solent, one meeting was held in each of the following months: November, December, January and March. In West Yorkshire, one meeting was held in each of the following months: November, December, January and March.

Crimes of Violence: Young People

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what contribution her Department is making to Government steps to reduce the incidence of serious youth violence.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education is working with the Home Office on a series of measures to reduce the incidence of serious youth violence.In January 2016, the Home Office published its Ending Gang Violence and Exploitation approach. Among its priorities, this publication describes action to protect locations where vulnerable young people can be targeted, including pupil referral units and residential children’s care homes. New regulations and guidance, introduced in 2015, make it clear that homes can prevent a child leaving the home where there is an immediate risk to their safety – which would include where a gang was seeking to lure a child away for involvement in gang activities. The Department for Education has also undertaken a stock-take of frontline practice in relation to missing children, which will inform and help to shape ongoing work to strengthen and improve practice with the Association of Directors of Children’s Services.The Ending Gang Violence and Exploitation publication also states that the Department for Education continues to focus on action to improve school attendance. Regular attendance plays a vital role in keeping young people away from gang involvement and other crime and antisocial behaviour. The Department has, from September 2015, reduced the threshold for ‘persistent absence’ from 15% to 10%, emphasising the message that attending school should be a priority for every pupil.In March 2016, the Home Office published its Modern Crime Prevention Strategy, outlining measures to strengthen the Government’s response to knife crime. This publication notes that the Home Office is working with the Department for Education to deliver prevention messages in schools; teaching school pupils to recognise and challenge unhealthy and exploitative relationships, to prevent them from being abused or from engaging in abuse themselves. We are working with the Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education Association to train teaching staff in areas that seek help, to help them to teach young people to recognise and avoid exploitation and abuse.The Modern Crime Prevention Strategy also highlights that the Department for Education will work with the Home Office on how best to raise awareness in school age children about the risks of carrying knives, and the role schools can play to build resilience in children and young people so they do not give in to peer pressure to carry knives.

Ministry of Justice

Ministry of Justice: Procurement

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much his Department has received from (a) G4S, (b) MTCnovo and (c) Serco for all contracts since 2010.

Andrew Selous: The Ministry of Justice holds a number of centrally and locally managed contracts with these providers and information on the total income could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost. However, the income received from contracts held by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) for the period 1 April 2010 to 31 January 2016 was: Period 1st Apr 2010 – 31st Jan 2016CustomerAmountSerco6,901,771.23G4S9,744,706.59MTCNovo0Total invoiced16,646,477.82 These figures cover a variety of services that G4S and Serco have purchased from NOMS including: dog team training, grounds maintenance, learning and development, staff secondments, healthcare escorts, bed watches and prison industries. These figures only cover invoices raised by accounts receivable (i.e. the figures exclude credit notes and deductions from normal monthly invoicing). In addition to these invoiced values, in 2014 SERCO and G4S made rebates totalling £70.5m plus VAT and £108.9m plus VAT respectively, for overcharging on the Electronic Monitoring Contract, and for G4S a Facilities Management Contract in HMCTS.

Wormwood Scrubs Prison

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average amount of time was that a prisoner spent on education or work-related activities at HMP Wormwood Scrubs in the last period for which figures are available.

Andrew Selous: Our prison system needs reform. Without reform, there will be more reoffending, more crime, more victims and the public will be less safe. We want prisons to be places of hard work, rigorous education and high ambition, with incentives for prisoners to learn and for prison staff to prioritise education and work. Prison should help offenders get the skills and qualifications to make a success of life on the outside. When so many come into custody illiterate and innumerate it would be a travesty if we didn’t get them reading and writing when they are in our care.Of the 1251 prisoners at HMP Wormwood, 665 are either remand or non-EU foreign national (FNO) prisoners. Non-EU FNO prisoners are not eligible for employment on release and therefore education funding for this cohort mainly concentrates on English as a second language and basic literacy and numeracy provision.  Remand prisoners are not required to work though are able to access education if they choose to.There are 556 activity spaces available daily at Wormwood Scrubs which involve work or education. There are a further 108 spaces related to resettlement activities or addressing reoffending needs.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he intends to reply to Question 31430, on Antisemitism, tabled on 16 March 2016 for named day answer on 21 March 2016.

Mike Penning: I can confirm that PQ 31430 was answered on the 30th March 2016.

Administration of Justice: Greater Manchester

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to paragraph 1.293 of Budget 2016, which areas of criminal justice services he plans to devolve to Greater Manchester; which bodies will assume overall governance of such services; what legal framework he plans to put in place for the governance of service providers; and how such (a) governing bodies and (b) service providers will be funded.

Mike Penning: In the Budget, the Government announced that it will work with Greater Manchester to strengthen its role in commissioning joined up criminal justice services and in developing flexible local services. No services or budgets have been devolved. The Government is considering options in conjunction with Manchester.

Civil Servants: Location

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to paragraph 1.287 of Budget 2016, where those centres of expertise will be located; what those centres will be responsible for; and how those centres will be funded.

Mike Penning: The MoJ National Programme will create substantial centres of expertise outside the capital so that we become a more nationally distributed department. We are currently developing options for how we will do this including the exact numbers that will be relocated to the regions and where they will be located.

Insolvency

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will estimate the level of creditor claims related to insolvency litigation in each of the last five years.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will estimate the forecast level of creditor claims related to insolvency litigation in each of the next five financial years.

Andrew Selous: The Ministry of Justice does not hold this information.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many appeal hearings at the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support) were (a) withdrawn and (b) adjourned as a result of the Department for Work and Pensions not sending a representative in each of the last three years.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The information requested is not held centrally.

Ministry of Justice: Civil Servants

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many former civil servants who worked on JSi projects have now left his Department.

Andrew Selous: I refer my the Rt Hon Member to my Written Ministerial Statement of 14 March:http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2016-03-14/HCWS619/I will update the House once the investigation is complete.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the additional cost to his Department in the last year of appeal hearings at the First Tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support) which were adjourned because the Department of Work and Pensions did not send a representative in the last 12 months.

Mike Penning: The information requested is not held centrally.

Immigration: Appeals

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many appeal hearings at the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum) were (a) withdrawn and (b) adjourned because the Home Office did not send a representative in (i) 2012-13, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) is administered by HM Courts & Tribunals Service. There are no available data relating to numbers of appeals withdrawn where the Home Office representative did not attend the hearing. The number of appeal hearings adjourned because the Home Office did not send a representative in (i) 2012-13 was 64 (ii) 2013-14 was 61 and (iii) 2014-15 was 68. For comparison, the figure in 2009/10 was 94. Data provided are internal Management Information and not subject to the same quality checks as Official Statistics.

Prisoners: Risk Assessment

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners at each establishment have risk indicators which have been identified after completion of a cell sharing risk assessment.

Andrew Selous: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Crimes of Violence: Young People

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what contribution his Department is making to Government steps to reduce the incidence of serious youth violence.

Andrew Selous: We continue to play an active role in cross-Government work to tackle gangs and prevent youth violence. Youth reoffending is too high which is why the justice Secretary has asked Charlie Taylor to conduct a review of youth justice. He will report back later this year with recommendations.

Leader of the House

UK Membership of EU

Mr Christopher Chope: To ask the Leader of the House, if he will make it the policy of the Government not to bring forward regulations seeking to implement EU Directives until the outcome of the EU referendum is known.

Chris Grayling: The rules regarding the continuing work of departments during the statutory 28-day pre-referendum period are clearly set out in the Cabinet Secretary’s letter of 23 February 2016 to Permanent Secretaries, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/502580/Jeremy_Heywood_to_Permanent_Secretaries_-_EU_Referendum_Guidance.pdfIt states that: ‘All EU and EU-related business, including negotiations in or with all EU institutions and other Member States, EU Council meetings and policy discussions within government will continue as usual throughout this period. The normal rules of collective responsibility apply and therefore the existing machinery of government for making policy on EU business will continue to function in the normal way, including Cabinet Committee clearance processes.’

Ministry of Defence

Trident

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's latest estimate is of (a) the whole life programme cost of the Successor programme, (b) capital costs associated with (i) submarine acquisition, (ii) Trident missile renewal and (iii) basing facilities, (c) the running and support costs of the Successor fleet and associated capability to protect and sustain it, (d) all future costs associated with the Atomic Weapons Establishment maintaining a capability to maintain an on-going nuclear warhead design capability and (e) decommissioning costs.

Mr Philip Dunne: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 23 October 2015.The correct answer should have been:

The 2014 Update to ParliamentThe May 2011 Initial Gate Parliamentary Report set out an estimate for the Successor submarine acquisition of around £25 billion, based on a four boat solution, spread over some 25 years. These estimates are currently being refreshed to inform the Comprehensive Spending Review and Strategic Defence and Security Review. Once the new fleet of SSBNs come into service, we expect that the in-service costs of the UK’s nuclear deterrent, which include the costs of the Atomic Weapons Establishment, basing and disposals, will be similar to the current system, at around six per cent of the defence budget. While we have no plans to replace the current Trident D5 missile, we are participating with our US partners in a programme to extend the current life to the 2060s. The estimated cost is around £250 million.

Mr Philip Dunne: The 2014 Update to ParliamentThe May 2011 Initial Gate Parliamentary Report set out an estimate for the Successor submarine acquisition of around £25 billion, based on a four boat solution, spread over some 25 years. These estimates are currently being refreshed to inform the Comprehensive Spending Review and Strategic Defence and Security Review. Once the new fleet of SSBNs come into service, we expect that the in-service costs of the UK’s nuclear deterrent, which include the costs of the Atomic Weapons Establishment, basing and disposals, will be similar to the current system, at around six per cent of the defence budget. While we have no plans to replace the current Trident D5 missile, we are participating with our US partners in a programme to extend the current life to the 2060s. The estimated cost is around £250 million.

Trident

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department last carried out an assessment of the whole life cost of the Successor programme.

Mr Philip Dunne: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 23 October 2015.The correct answer should have been:

The 2014 Update to ParliamentThe May 2011 Initial Gate Parliamentary Report set out an estimate for the Successor submarine acquisition of around £25 billion, based on a four boat solution, spread over some 25 years. These estimates are currently being refreshed to inform the Comprehensive Spending Review and Strategic Defence and Security Review. Once the new fleet of SSBNs come into service, we expect that the in-service costs of the UK’s nuclear deterrent, which include the costs of the Atomic Weapons Establishment, basing and disposals, will be similar to the current system, at around six per cent of the defence budget. While we have no plans to replace the current Trident D5 missile, we are participating with our US partners in a programme to extend the current life to the 2060s. The estimated cost is around £250 million.

Mr Philip Dunne: The 2014 Update to ParliamentThe May 2011 Initial Gate Parliamentary Report set out an estimate for the Successor submarine acquisition of around £25 billion, based on a four boat solution, spread over some 25 years. These estimates are currently being refreshed to inform the Comprehensive Spending Review and Strategic Defence and Security Review. Once the new fleet of SSBNs come into service, we expect that the in-service costs of the UK’s nuclear deterrent, which include the costs of the Atomic Weapons Establishment, basing and disposals, will be similar to the current system, at around six per cent of the defence budget. While we have no plans to replace the current Trident D5 missile, we are participating with our US partners in a programme to extend the current life to the 2060s. The estimated cost is around £250 million.

Forces Help to Buy Scheme

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many properties have been purchased through the Forces Help to Buy Scheme in each month since its inception.

Mark Lancaster: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 22 February 2016.The correct answer should have been:

The requested information is provided in the following table: MonthNumber of Forces Help to Buy Payments MadeApril 20148May 2014106105June 2014244235July 2014346340August 2014296299September 2014281313October 2014343344November 2014289301December 2014298342January 2015234233February 2015232220March 2015306April 2015222221May 2015320319June 2015367370July 2015385August 2015322321September 2015297291October 2015337336November 2015317December 2015315

Mark Lancaster: The requested information is provided in the following table: MonthNumber of Forces Help to Buy Payments MadeApril 20148May 2014106105June 2014244235July 2014346340August 2014296299September 2014281313October 2014343344November 2014289301December 2014298342January 2015234233February 2015232220March 2015306April 2015222221May 2015320319June 2015367370July 2015385August 2015322321September 2015297291October 2015337336November 2015317December 2015315

Armed Forces: Mental Illness

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) serving personnel and (b) veterans have had mental health issues in each year since 2010.

Mr Julian Brazier: The following table shows the number of UK Armed Forces serving personnel who were assessed as having a mental health condition, either at one of the military Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMHs) or one of the facilities contracted by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to provide in-patient treatment, from 1 January 2010 to 30 September 2015 (the latest date for which verified data is available). YearNumber of personnel assessed 20103,87520113,95320124,81620135,09320144,89620153,811 (up to 30 September 2015) The MOD does not hold information on the number of veterans who were diagnosed with a mental disorder after leaving Service. However UK Armed Forces personnel identified with a mental health problem prior to leaving Service are entitled to access care in a UK DCMH for up to six months beyond their discharge date to continue their care. These personnel would be diagnosed prior to leaving Service and thus would be included in the statistics provided.   Veterans in England, Scotland and Wales are entitled to priority treatment at NHS hospitals for Service-related conditions (subject to the clinical need of all patients) and a Veterans' Transition Protocol ensures any Service person discharged with a diagnosed mental health disorder is transferred appropriately to the NHS in England and the Devolved Administrations. A number of enhancements have been made to the care available for them, including more NHS veterans mental health nurses, follow-up of Service leavers 12 months after discharge, and a 24 hour mental health helpline.

Armed Forces: Rules of Engagement

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place a copy of his Department's (a) civilian casualty review procedure and (b) standard operating procedure in the Library.

Penny Mordaunt: I am withholding publication of the UK Armed Forces' Incident Reporting Standing Operating Procedure, which contains the civilian casualty review process, as disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness, or security of our Armed Forces.The UK takes all allegations of civilian casualties very seriously. Robust processes are in place to review reports of civilian casualties and to launch investigations where required.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2016 to Question 23886, whether asset-sharing in Syria, Iraq or Libya was considered at the meeting of the Reaper User Group that took place on 14 to 18 March.

Penny Mordaunt: The MQ-9 Users Group primarily discussed generic, future interoperability between US, UK, French and Italian Reaper operators, particularly in terms of software standards, logistics and training. The sharing of assets in Syria, Iraq and Libya was therefore not discussed explicitly.

Syria: Military Intervention

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2016 to Question 30084, if he will make the Attorney General's advice available for inspection by the (a) Chief of the Air Staff (b) Deputy Commander of Operations and (c) Staff Branch Air Command responsible for authorisation of the drone strike which killed Reyaad Khan on 21 August 2015.

Michael Fallon: No. Military action is authorised in accordance with the Rules of Engagement which I approve in accordance with the legal position.

Syria: Military Intervention

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government approved or was consulted on the US airstrike in Syria that killed Junaid Hussain on 24 August 2015.

Michael Fallon: We work closely with the United States: we do not, however, comment on the specific details of US intentions.

Armed Forces: Bank Services

Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he plans to take to ensure that no bank accounts of military personnel are closed as a result of the Fourth Money Laundering Directive while they are on active service; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Lancaster: There is no reason why the bank accounts of any military personnel would be closed as a result of the Fourth Money Laundering Directive, whether or not they were on active service, unless financial institutions suspected individuals of fraudulent activity.

Libya: Military Intervention

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what reports he has received on which other countries plan to deploy troops in Libya.

Michael Fallon: We do not comment on other nations' military planning activity.

Libya: Military Intervention

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to deploy the armed forces in Libya to provide security for the Libyan Government of National Accord.

Michael Fallon: Multinational planning, in which the UK has played a supporting role, is focused on training Libyan security forces to provide their own security to the new Libyan government and Libyan people.

Libya: Military Intervention

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to deploy the armed forces in Libya to train the Libyan army.

Michael Fallon: Planning has focused on training Libyan security forces to provide their own security to the new Libyan government and Libyan people. No decisions have been made about the future deployment of British military forces and any provision of support will be in response to a request by the Government of National Accord.

Defence Equipment: Repairs and Maintenance

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the armed forces have been employed specialising in the repair and maintenance of survival equipment in the RAF in the last twenty years; and how many former such staff have (a) received a medical discharge and (b) submitted a claim for compensation on the grounds of occupational related ill-health.

Mark Lancaster: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Information is available from 1 April 2006 to 1 February 2016, and is given below.Of the 1,027 personnel identified as being employed in the repair and maintenance of survival equipment in the RAF, around 40 were medically discharged from Service. Around 60 registered an injury/illness claim for a disablement pension under the War Pension Scheme (WPS). Around 100 registered an injury/illness claim under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS). Fewer than five made a legal claim for compensation.Figures are rounded to the nearest 10, numbers ending in 5 have been rounded to the nearest 20 to prevent systematic bias. This is because there is a duty under the Data Protection Act 1998 to protect individuals from being identified by the release of information.The War Pension Scheme provides no-fault compensation for all ex-Service personnel where illness, injury or death is caused by Service from the start of the First World War up until 5 April 2005. This was replaced by the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme on 6 April 2005. Please note that these statistics relate to illness and injury; it is not possible to determine which claims are related to occupational ill-health without accessing the individuals' medical files. An award under the AFCS or WPS may be made for a variety of reasons and not necessarily directly related to the role of a Survival Equipment Fitter.

Armed Forces: Trichloroethylene

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the extent to which members of the armed forces work with trichloroethylene in the line of duty and the suitability of existing health and safety arrangements when this takes place.

Mark Lancaster: The assessment of exposure to hazardous chemicals, including Trichloroethylene, by Armed Forces personnel is covered by legislative requirements in the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH). These require that the employer makes a suitable and sufficient assessment of exposure to employees, and that any exposure is prevented or adequately controlled. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) fully complies with these regulations, through risk assessments of exposure to hazardous substances being undertaken at local level by the Chain of Command. This includes an assessment of the suitability of arrangements to prevent or control exposure.The MOD is also aware that after 21 April 2016, an authorisation will be needed for continued use of Trichloroethylene and has arrangements in place to ensure compliance.

Firing Ranges: Safety

Kate Hollern: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which Ministry of Defence live ammunition ranges have safety wardens present on site.

Mr Julian Brazier: The following Ministry of Defence ranges have permanent dedicated wardens on site: Otterburn Training AreaNorthumberland.Warcop Training AreaCumbria.Barry Buddon Training CentreAngus, Fort George, Inverness, Hythe, Kent, Lydd, Kent.Castlemartin Training AreaPembrokeshire, Swynnerton, North Staffordshire, Lulworth, Dorset, Holbeach, Lincolnshire, Tain, Ross-Shire, Pembrey Sands, Carmarthenshire.Kirkcudbright Training CentreKirkcudbrightshire. The remainder of UK ranges are overseen by personnel who are responsible collectively for ensuring the ranges in a region are safe and fit for purpose. Irrespective of the presence of permanent wardens, each unit using a range is overseen by a qualified and experienced Range Conducting Officer, who ensures the safe operation for that exercise once the range has been handed over.

Firing Ranges: Safety

Kate Hollern: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for safety on live ammunition ranges of changes in the numbers of safety wardens present on site.

Mr Julian Brazier: The Ministry of Defence is currently reviewing staffing levels on UK Defence Training Estate ranges and the implications for safety and I will update the hon. Member when this has been completed.

Ministry of Defence: Private Education

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many staff in his Department were in receipt of Continuity of Education Allowance in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15; and what the cost to his Department was of providing that allowance for staff based (i) in the UK and (ii) overseas in each such year.

Mr Julian Brazier: The requested information is provided in the following table and I have added the figures for 2009-10 for comparison. Continuity of Education Allowance, Number of Claimants and Cost (UK and Overseas) by Financial Year (FY)  FY 2009-10 FY 2012-13 FY 2013-14 FY 2014-15 UK Claimants5,0204,1603,6003,230Overseas Claimants1,000790700650Total Claimants 6,0204,950 4,300 3,880 UK Cost (£ million)93.282.274.369.4Overseas Cost (£ million)18.116.415.015.1Total Cost (£ million) 111.3 98.789.3 84.5 Note: all numbers are rounded Continuity of Education Allowance was reviewed as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010 since when improvements in governance have achieved a reduction of costs by around £30 million per annum along with an associated reduction in claimants. Work continues to further reduce the cost of the allowance.

Waterloo Barracks

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what further investment he plans to provide for the hardened aircraft shelters used by the Quick Reaction Alert at the former RAF base at Leuchars.

Mark Lancaster: The Ministry of Defence is planning to undertake £100,000 of safety compliance related work over the next 12 months, on top of the regular levels of service and maintenance for the hardened aircraft shelters.

Army Air Corps: Resignations

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Army Air Corps pilots have resigned due to his Department's plans to recover over-payment of flying pay; how many of those pilots (a) are currently serving and (b) have retired; what assessment he has made of the effect on (i) staffing levels and (ii) the effectiveness of that corps; whether any of those pilots affected have been subject to disciplinary proceedings due to non-repayment of such over-payments; what the value is of such over payments; over what period such over-payments relate to; and if he will make it his policy to not recover such over-payments.

Mark Lancaster: I refer the hon. Member to the response given by my noble Friend, the Minister of State for Defence, the Rt Hon. Earl Howe, to the noble Lord, the Rt Hon. the Lord Trefgarne, in the House of Lords (Official Report, column 2379). In addition to this I can confirm that an overpayment of recruitment and retention pay amounting to £829,000 in total was made to 146 Army aircrew personnel over a number of years. Of the 146 personnel affected, 97 are still serving. We have apologised and explained the circumstances of the overpayments to all affected. Each individual has the opportunity to object, appeal, and if necessary submit a Service Complaint against recovery action receiving individual and tailored advice as required. Since notification of the recovery action, the Army Air Corps is not aware of any resignations as a direct result. The error was caused by differing interpretations and use of the Recruitment and Retention Pay (Flying) policy across the Army Air Corps. As such there are no disciplinary issues associated with the overpayment.Although there are manning pressures within the Army Air Corps they are able to meet all current commitments. In recognition of these pressures a Financial Retention Incentive was introduced in 2015 and 81% of the eligible personnel have taken up this offer resulting in a stabilisation of Army Air Corps pilot manning levels.In accordance with HM Treasury Policy and Guidance, pay has been reverted to the correct levels and recovery action has now begun. This guidance requires that efforts are made to recover incorrect payments in all cases across the public sector. I am satisfied that this is the correct approach to take under these circumstances and reflects the previous recovery of overpayments within the Armed Forces.



Hansard extract on Army Helicopter Pilots
(Word Document, 20.08 KB)

Defence: Research

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how the UK economy has benefited from defence technology research and development.

Mr Philip Dunne: As stated in National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 (Cmd 9161), the UK conducts world-class innovation across all the major commercial technology sectors with national security applications, including aerospace, biotechnology and medical sciences, big data, cyber security, satellites, robotics and advanced materials.The defence and security industries make a major contribution to our prosperity. In the UK they employ over 215,000 people, predominantly highly skilled, and support a further 150,000, as well as 6,500 apprentices. In 2014, both industries had a collective turnover of over £30 billion, including defence and security export orders worth £11.9 billion.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2016 to Question 25292, to which countries RAF Reaper or Watchkeeper drones have been deployed on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance sorties since 5 February 2016.

Penny Mordaunt: From 5 February until 4 April 2016, UK Reapers have been deployed on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations in Iraq and Syria.

Joint Exercises

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the last three exercises were carried out under the Five Powers Defence Arrangements; and how many armed forces (a) personnel and (b) assets were used in each of those exercises.

Penny Mordaunt: The last three exercises carried out under the Five Powers Defence Arrangements were:Exercise Suman Warrior 15 (27 July-6 August 2015). Eight UK Armed Forces personnel deployed on this exercise. No UK military ships or aircraft were deployed.Exercise Bersama Shield (8 May - 18 May 2015). 21 UK Armed Forces personnel and one JSATO DA20 (Joint Services Air Tasking Organisation) aircraft were deployed on this exercise.Exercise Bersama Lima (7-21 October 2014). 163 UK Armed Forces personnel and six Typhoon aircraft were deployed on this exercise.

HMS Prince of Wales

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what modifications are required to HMS Prince of Wales to make it suitable for use as an amphibious assault platform.

Mr Philip Dunne: In the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 we announced the intention to enhance a Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier to support the UK's amphibious capability. We are currently assessing the modifications that may be required and the optimum way to deliver these enhancements, which we expect will have utility in both carriers. As well as delivering their primary Carrier Strike role with F-35B Lightning II aircraft, the carriers will offer a significant basing option for the projection of air support to amphibious operations, including battlefield helicopter support to our Royal Marines or embarked military forces.

Type 26 Frigates

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to publish an updated timetable for commencing the building of the first T26 Global Combat Ship.

Mr Philip Dunne: We are working with industry to develop an optimised schedule for the T26 Global Combat Ship (GCS) programme. As part of this, on 22 March 2016, we announced that agreement had been reached with BAE Systems on the award of a contract to extend the T26 GCS Demonstration Phase to June 2017.In addition to maturing further the detailed ship design, investing in Shore Testing Facilities, and extending our investment in the wider supply chain, this extension to the Demonstration Phase will allow us to continue the work to develop a revised baseline for the programme.The timing of the award of the contract to build the Type 26 Global Combat Ships will be central to this re-baselining work and, in due course, a revised programme will be produced and considered through the normal investment approvals process. An announcement on the timing of the award of a T26 GCS build contract will be made at the appropriate time.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effect of the time taken in Block 3F testing of the F-35B Lightning II mission systems software on the planned commencement of formal initial operational test and evaluation development of that aircraft.

Mr Philip Dunne: The development and associated flight testing of the Block 3F software is due to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2017. This will allow operational test and evaluation to commence in time to support the UK's planned Initial Operating Capability of December 2018.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve the stability of radar sensors in the F-35B Lightning II Fighter.

Mr Philip Dunne: The UK is fully involved in the development/test cycle for the F-35 radar sensors. As new functionality is added in line with the development schedule, there can be an initial reduction in software stability. Software fixes have been identified to improve stability and are planned to enter flight test during the next month. The development and performance of the radar remains on track to meet the UK's planned Initial Operating Capability of December 2018.

European Fighter Aircraft

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the suitability of the Honeywell TCAS II collision warning system for use in Typhoon fighter aircraft.

Mr Philip Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 10 March 2016 to Question 30090.



30090 - European Fighter Aircraft
(Word Document, 14.06 KB)

Puma Helicopters

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to fit airborne collision avoidance systems to Puma helicopters.

Mr Philip Dunne: I can confirm that Traffic Advisory Systems are currently being installed in all Puma Mk2 aircraft, and this work is due to be completed by the end of March 2017.

Lynx Helicopters

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to fit airborne collision avoidance systems to Lynx helicopters.

Mr Philip Dunne: I can confirm that Traffic Advisory Systems are currently being installed in all Lynx Mk 9A aircraft. This is due to be completed across the entire fleet by the end of September 2016. Royal Navy Lynx Mk 8 aircraft are not being modified as they are due to leave service by 31 March 2017.

Electronic Warfare

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions his Department's cyber strike capability was used in (a) 2014 and (b) 2015.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether it is his policy for the House to be informed after his Department's cyber strike capability has been used in cases where urgent action has been required such that it has not been possible to inform the House in advance.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether it is his policy for the House to be given an opportunity to debate in advance any decision to use his Department's cyber strike capability.

Penny Mordaunt: We continue to develop the ability of our Armed Forces to deploy a broad range of offensive cyber capabilities as an integrated part of military operations. As with other sensitive defence capabilities, we do not reveal specific details in order to safeguard national security. As we have previously made clear in the context of the war powers convention, we do not propose to define the circumstances in which we would consult Parliament about the use of particular military capabilities.

Married Quarters

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans the Government has to extend the period of time separating spouses of service personnel have to vacate his Department's accommodation.

Mark Lancaster: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has no plans to extend the period of time in which separating spouses of Service personnel have to vacate MOD provided accommodation. However, the current 93-day period can be extended further according to individual circumstances, such as children's schooling, relevant welfare and any medical considerations.

Defence: Expenditure

Dr Tania Mathias: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether spending on the upkeep of the defence estate counts towards the Government's pledge to spend at least two per cent of GDP on defence, as defined by NATO.

Mark Lancaster: In accordance with NATO guidelines on Defence expenditure, spending on the upkeep of the defence estate to support our Armed Forces does count towards the Government's pledge to spend at least two per cent of GDP on defence.

Crimes of Violence: Young People

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of cadet forces to reducing the incidence of serious youth violence.

Mr Julian Brazier: The Ministry of Defence-Sponsored Cadet Forces comprise the Sea Cadet Corps, the Combined Cadet Force, the Army Cadet Force, and the Air Training Corps.The Department has not formally assessed the potential contribution of its Cadet Forces in reducing the incidence of serious youth violence. However, the 131,000 Cadets involved follow a wide variety of well-organised, enjoyable and challenging military-themed activities in a safely-managed environment.Experience shows that these activities allow Cadets to develop a sense of responsibility and service to the community, self-reliance, leadership, teamwork, communication skills and respect for authority and for others. In undertaking these activities, Cadets can gain nationally-recognised educational and vocational qualifications.

Department for Work and Pensions

Personal Income

Ms Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the household median net income after the deduction of income tax and national insurance was for (a) all working-age adults, (b) working-age adults without children and (c) working-age adults with children, (i) including and (ii) excluding individuals in households without household earnings on the last date for which figures are available.

Priti Patel: Table 1: Median weekly household net income – including households without earnings, UK 2013/14  Household median weekly net incomeAll households with at least one working age adult£577All households with at least one working age adult and no dependent children£550All households with at least one working age adult and at least one dependent child£612 Table 2: Median weekly household net income – excluding households without earnings, UK 2013/14  Household median weekly net income All households with at least one working age adult£655All households with at least one working age adult and no dependent children£638All households with at least one working age adult and at least one dependent child£676 Source: Family Resources Survey, 2013/14 Notes:Net income includes earnings from employment and self-employment (after the deduction on income tax and national insurance contributions), income from benefits and tax credits, retirement pensions, private pensions, statutory payments, investments, royalties and income from any other sources.Net income has not been equivalised for household size and composition.Median calculations in Table 2 exclude those households with zero or negative net earnings (i.e. excludes those with losses from self-employment).The Family Resources Survey is a nationally representative sample of UK households.The figures from the Family Resources Survey are based on a sample of households which have been adjusted for non-response using multi-purpose grossing factors which align the Family Resources Survey to former Government Office Region population by age and sex. Estimates based on survey data are subject to uncertainty due to sampling error and remaining non-response error.Data are rounded to the nearest whole pound.

Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people who have not (a) attended a work capability assessment or (b) reported to a jobcentre when requested have been exempt from benefit sanctions because of extenuating circumstances relating to their mental health in each year since 2010.

Priti Patel: The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Access to Work Programme

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will undertake a cost-benefit analysis of (a) Access to Work expenditure and (b) the potential effect of that programme on (i) social security expenditure and (ii) income tax returns.

Justin Tomlinson: The Government recognises the value users, employers and stakeholders place on the scheme which de-risks the recruitment and retention of disabled people, therefore we have increased the funding for Access to Work, to enable a further 25,000 customers to receive support by 2020. We continue to work with stakeholders to understand the value Access to Work adds.Officials have previously explored the potential costs and benefits of Access to Work expenditure, including the impacts on social security expenditure and income tax returns. However, in the absence of a control group against which to assess the difference the programme makes to someone’s likelihood of being in work, it is not possible to establish a robust overall value for money figure and it would be misleading to publish estimates. To establish a control group could jeopardise individuals’ current and future employment by restricting access to the programme and support for a sizeable number of people in the short to medium term.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of disabled people living in social housing who will be affected by the cap to local housing allowance.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not available. As such it is not possible to accurately estimate the number of disabled people living in social housing that will be affected by this policy in 2018.

Employment and Support Allowance: Scotland

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employment support allowance claimants in (a) Scotland (b) Glasgow and (c) Glasgow Central constituency stopped claiming that allowance after participation in the Work Programme.

Priti Patel: The available information on the number of people who have completed the Work Programme is published and can be found at:http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/WorkProg/tabtool.htmlThe information requested for those who stopped claiming Employment and Support Allowance after participation in the Work Programme is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Local Housing Allowance

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2016 to Question 29818, what assessment he has made of the effect of a four-year freeze in local housing allowance (LHA) rates on people that rely on LHA if the cost of renting in the private rented sector continues to rise; and whether the four-year freeze will disproportionally affect those living in houses with more than four bedrooms.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not available. However there will be Targeted Affordability Funding available to support areas where higher rent increases are causing a shortage of affordable accommodation.

Work Programme: European Social Fund

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on European Social Fund allocations for the Work programme.

Mr Shailesh Vara: At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government's position, as set out by the Prime Minister to the House on 22 February, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

Universal Credit: Wythenshawe and Sale East

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Wythenshawe and Sale East constituency who are existing universal credit claimants and who are in work will have their universal credit decreased as a result of changes to the work allowance taking effect in April 2016.

Priti Patel: The information requested is not available because individual claimants’ circumstances can change as they move in and out of work or their earnings change. We have contacted all claimants who are in work and reporting earnings to make them aware of this change, which will affect a subset of that population.

Universal Credit: Forms

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the ability of prospective claimants to complete the online application form for universal credit; and if he will estimate the number of eligible claimants who have failed to claim due to the complexity of that application form.

Priti Patel: The Universal Credit online application form is designed around user needs and over 90% of claims to Universal Credit have been made online. People without digital skills will be offered support to make and manage their Universal Credit (UC) claim online, and to acquire and to improve their digital skills. A telephone helpline is also available for claimants who cannot use the online service.We have no evidence of any eligible claimants who have failed to claim due to the complexity of the Universal Credit application form.

Independent Living Fund: Research

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 29 February 2016 to Question 28404, on Independent Living Fund, if he will publish (a) the timescale and (b) the terms of reference of the research which the Government plans to conduct.

Justin Tomlinson: We have completed the planning for researching the impact of the ILF’s closure; we will publish the findings when the research is complete.

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how long after being found to be ineligible for employment and support allowance as a result of a work capability assessment can an individual submit a new claim.

Priti Patel: An individual can submit a new claim for Employment and Support Allowance at any time after being found fit for work following a Work Capability Assessment.

Access to Work Programme: Consultants

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department spent on consultancy costs examining possible proposals for the future of the Access to Work scheme.

Justin Tomlinson: Following an internal review of Access to Work, a number of changes and customer service improvements were announced in March 2015. In support of our next stage of continuous improvement of Access to Work, we have commissioned independent business analysts to provide expert advice on how Access to Work can best deliver the Government’s ambition to increase numbers supported by the scheme by 65% over the course of the Parliament, and beyond.This work is still on-going and details of the contract can be found at https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/e06d7b31-1135-42c9-a81b-854984be1137

Disability

Dr Tania Mathias: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of people with a (a) physical disability, (b) mental disability and (c) physical and mental disability in (i) the UK and (ii) Twickenham constituency.

Justin Tomlinson: a) and b) Based on the latest available figures from the Department’s Family Resources Survey 2013/2014, an estimated 11.9 million people in the UK reported a disability. The table below provides more detailed information about the types of impairment that disabled people reported. Table 1: Disability prevalence disaggregated by impairment type UK, 2013/14  Millions of individualsImpairment type2013/14Vision1.5Hearing1.7Mobility6.5Dexterity3.4Learning1.5Memory1.9Mental health2.1Stamina/breathing/fatigue4.5Social/behavioural0.8Other1.8All with at least one impairment11.9Source: Family Resources Survey 2013/14 Respondents can report, and be affected by, more than one type of impairment. c) Using the FRS an estimated 2.7 million people in the UK reported both a physical and mental disability. This estimate includes all individuals currently living in private households. It does not include individuals living in communal establishments (e.g. care homes). For the purposes of this analysis, the following categories have been classified as physical disabilities;Vision, Hearing, Mobility, Dexterity, and Stamina/Breathing/Fatigue. The following categories have been classified as mental disabilities;Learning, Memory, Mental Health, and Social/Behavioural Note that disabilities classified as "other" have not been included in part c). The department cannot provide figures in the format requested for Twickenham. Aggregate level estimates of people with disability aged 16-64 in Twickenham can be found on the Nomis website based on the Annual Population Survey: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/query/select/getdatasetbytheme.asp?opt=3&theme=&subgrp=

Social Security Benefits

Dr Tania Mathias: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people (a) of working age, (b) of retirement age and (c) younger than working age are in receipt of (i) disability living allowance and (ii) personal independence payments in (A) the UK and (B) Twickenham constituency.

Justin Tomlinson: Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will be introduced in Northern Ireland later this year. Information regarding Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Office. The number of people in receipt of Disability Living Allowance by geography and age is published and available at: http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/dla/tabtool_dla.html. Guidance for users is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-tabulation-tool-guidance. Information on the number of claimants in receipt of PIP, by geography and age, is available from Stat-Xplore. https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/.

Personal Independence Payment: Public Consultation

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish (a) the criteria used to select organisations invited to attend and (b) the organisations that attended personal independence payments consultation stakeholder events in January 2016.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department held stakeholder events in Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds and London. These were public meetings open to anyone who wished to attend; this was publicised on Gov.uk. Representatives of the following organisations requested to do so: Aberdeen City CouncilAction for Blind PeopleThe Action GroupCarers Support (Bexley)Cheshire Centre for Independent LivingCitizens Advice BureauCoventry Law CentreChild Poverty Action Group ScotlandCommunity Navigator ServicesCrohn’s and Colitis UKDeaf Sector Partnership/Scottish Council on DeafnessDeafBlind ScotlandDeafBlind UKDeafconnectElcena Jeffers FoundationEnable ScotlandEnfield Disability ActionGateway HousingGlasgow City CouncilHousing Options ScotlandInclusion ScotlandLothian Centre for Inclusive LivingMacmillan Cancer SupportMaggie’s CentresMotor Neurone Disease AssociationMultiple Sclerosis ScotlandMultiple Sclerosis SocietyNational AIDS TrustRoyal National Institute of Blind PeopleScopeThe Scottish GovernmentSenseSouth Lanarkshire CouncilSpinal Injuries AssociationSocial Security Advisory CommitteeSwansea CouncilWelfare Benefits UnitWelsh GovernmentWest Lothian CouncilWolverhampton City Council Departmental officials also held one-to-one meetings with Scope, RNIB, Disability Rights UK, the Disability Benefits Consortium (an umbrella group of over 60 organisations), and Scottish and Welsh government officials. A meeting was also held specifically for members of the PIP Implementation Stakeholder Forum Working Group. Meetings were also held with both assessment providers, Atos and Capita, to discuss the impact of any policy change on the delivery of assessments.

Carer's Allowance: Uprating

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will raise the threshold for carer's allowance to take into account increases in the national minimum wage.

Justin Tomlinson: The earnings limit for Carer’s Allowance which is not linked to the number of hours worked is currently £110 per week (net of certain expenses). It was increased to £110 in April 2015 – an increase of nearly 8%, which far outstripped the growth in earnings.The Government keeps the earnings limit under review and keeps under consideration whether an increase in the threshold is warranted and affordable.

Personal Independence Payment: Public Consultation

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions his Department has had with Compact Voice about the duration of the formal personal independent payment consultation.

Justin Tomlinson: The time period for the consultation was decided in line with the Government’s consultation principles guidance. This advises that consultations should typically run for between 2 and 12 weeks, but that “the timing and length of a consultation should be decided on a case-by-case basis; there is no set formula for establishing the right length”.As we were consulting on the specific and discrete issue of how aids and appliances are accounted for when determining eligibility to the daily living component, 6 weeks was felt to be an appropriate length.As the consultation ran over Christmas this period was extended by 8 days, which is why the consultation ran for 7 weeks and one day. The length of the consultation was determined by the Government, as is standard practice. There have been no discussions with Compact Voice on this issue.

Personal Independence Payment

Dr Tania Mathias: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average value is of a personal independence payment in (a) the UK and (b) Twickenham constituency.

Justin Tomlinson: Information on average weekly payments of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is not published but can be calculated from the available claimant data extractable from Stat-Xplore (https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/) and the amount of benefit paid by component combination. At the end of January 2016 the average amount payable to PIP recipients in Great Britain was £88.70 per week and £88.14 per week in the Twickenham parliamentary constituency. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will be introduced in Northern Ireland later this year and will be a matter for the Northern Ireland Office.

Personal Independence Payment: Disability Aids

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department's consultation on aids and appliances and the daily living component of personal independence payments, Cm 9171, if he will publish the impact assessment prepared for the five options in that consultation.

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 1.7 of his Department's response to the consultation on aids and appliances and the daily living component of personal independence payments, published in March 2016, if he will publish the equality analysis referred to in that paragraph.

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 4.10 of his Department's response to its consultation on aids and appliances and the daily living component of personal independence payment, published in March 2016, if he will publish the raw data referred to in that paragraph; and whether that data was subject to peer review.

Justin Tomlinson: As confirmed by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State in his statement to the House on 21 March, the proposed changes to PIP will not be going ahead. We spend around £50bn every year on benefits alone to support people with disabilities or health conditions, with spending on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) having increased by more than £3 billion since 2010. The government is committed to talking to disabled people, their representatives, healthcare professionals and employers to ensure the welfare system works better with the health and social care systems and provides help and support to those who need it most.

Personal Independence Payment: Parkinson's Disease

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with Parkinson's disease receive personal independence  payment at the (a) daily living standard, (b) daily living enhanced, (c) mobility standard and (d) mobility enhanced rate.

Justin Tomlinson: The figures below show numbers of people in Great Britain in receipt of Personal Independence Payment as at 31st January 2016 who have either Parkinson’s disease or Parkinson's syndrome / Parkinsonism as their main disabling condition.Parkinson's disease   Daily living   EnhancedStandardNil Enhanced9628513MobilityStandard48930744 Nil329686-Source: PIP Computer Systems Parkinson's syndrome / Parkinsonism   Daily living   EnhancedStandardNil Enhanced1018-MobilityStandard56347 Nil2664-Source: PIP Computer Systems

Jobseeker's Allowance: Disqualification

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 15 March 2016 to Question 30116, what proportion of job seekers allowance claimants who received a sanction in the past year did not subsequently resume their benefit claim.

Priti Patel: The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Attendance Allowance: Parkinson's Disease

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with Parkinson's disease receive attendance allowance.

Justin Tomlinson: Statistical information on Attendance Allowance claimants, including the numbers of people suffering from Parkinson’s Disease, is available from the DWP Tabulation Tool: http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/tabtool.html

Employment Schemes: Internet

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants have found work through the Universal Jobmatch system.

Priti Patel: The information requested is not available, as Universal Jobmatch is a self-service job posting and matching service. Outcomes of vacancies posted on the site are not monitored

Universal Credit

Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what lessons were learned from the universal credit scheme pilot; and what changes have been put in place as a result of those lessons.

Priti Patel: The Department published a series of reports on Universal Credit. The latest can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/483029/universal-credit-at-work-december-2015.pdf

Jobseeker's Allowance: Disqualification

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the top five reasons were for imposing sanctions on jobseeker's allowance claimants in each year for which data is available.

Priti Patel: The available information for the number of Jobseeker’s Allowance sanction decisions, by referral reason, is published and can be found at: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.ukGuidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started---SuperWEB2.html

Social Security Benefits: Multiple Sclerosis

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what provisions his Department has in place to ensure that sufferers of multiple sclerosis do not experience a decrease in benefit payments as a result of experiencing a temporary period of remission in their condition.

Priti Patel: The assessments for Employment and Support Allowance and Personal Independence Payment have been designed to take full account of fluctuating conditions, including multiple sclerosis. Neither assessment is a snapshot; they give people with fluctuating conditions the opportunity to explain how their condition varies over time. All assessments are carried out by qualified health professionals who have broad training in disability analysis and are required to fully explore and report any fluctuations in a claimant’s condition(s).

Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for reconsideration or appeal of a sanction decision were submitted in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.

Priti Patel: The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many care leavers aged 18 to 25 have had sanctions overturned or reduced on reconsideration or appeal in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications from care leavers between the age of 18 and 25 were made for reconsideration or appeal of a sanction decision in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.

Priti Patel: The information requested in respect of care leavers is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Social Security Benefits

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of new claims for (a) jobseeker's allowance and (b) employment and support allowance were processed within (i) 10 days and (ii) 16 days in the most recent 12 months for which data is available.

Priti Patel: The information requested is shown in the table below. Mar 2015Apr 2015May 2015Jun 2015Jul 2015Aug 2015Sep 2015Oct 2015Nov 2015Dec 2015Jan 2016Feb 2016ESA claims processed in 16 days75,43761,54757,69364,30466,64057,92167,28668,60866,93759,67165,35665,799ESA % claims processed in 16 days94.3%94.0%93.6%94.2%94.2%94.2%94.0%93.5%94.0%93.0%94.0%93.8%ESA claims processed in 10 days71,03957,79754,56460,98063,35054,75163,44864,87463,17256,12962,44561,682ESA % claims processed in 10 days88.8%88.3%88.5%89.3%89.6%89.1%88.6%88.5%88.7%87.5%89.8%87.9%JSA claims processed in 16 days162,277145,388128,763140,397152,020125,789140,787140,113129,424106,747135,544119,028JSA % claims processed in 16 days96.9%97.1%97.7%97.9%97.7%97.7%97.6%96.9%97.6%97.8%98.0%95.5%JSA claims processed in 10 days152,973137,019122,136132,386142,162118,331130,165130,794122,034100,038125,329102,447JSA % claims processed in 10 days91.4%91.5%92.6%92.3%91.4%91.9%90.2%90.5%92.1%91.7%90.6%82.2%SourceManagement Information System Programme (MISP). MISP is a Departmental performance management, data capture and reporting tool.

Universal Credit

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of new universal credit claims were processed within one month in the most recent 12 months for which data is available.

Priti Patel: The information you have requested is currently not available. Additional breakdowns will be included in future Universal Credit official statistics as quality assurance of data from the Universal Credit systems progresses during 2016.

Social Security Benefits

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of applications for short term benefit advance were successful in the most recent 12 months for which data is available; and what reasons were given to those people who made unsuccessful applications in that period.

Priti Patel: Please see table below for Short Term Benefit Advance (STBA) applications and those which have been successful;  March 2015 - February 2016STBA Applications Received220,004STBA Primary Benefit Paid - (where the primary benefit has been paid negating the need for STBA)48,750STBA Referred for Decision110,303STBA Awarded93,307% STBA Awarded against Decision Made84.6%For context we have also supplied the STBA Applications Received and the number of claims which have not been submitted for decision due to primary benefit being paid.The Department does not hold data on reasons for unsuccessful applications. Notes STBA Applications Received cannot be calculated using the totals of Primary Benefit Paid and Referred for Decision due to other categories being included that are not shown. Only Working Age Benefits (i.e. ESA, IB, JSA and IS) are included in the above information for benefit advance applications as the number of applications received for State Pension Credit and Carer’s Allowance is not available. Source STBA Primary Benefits Paid & Referred for Decision - Management Information System Programme (MISP). This collation is based on clerical counts submitted by the Centres and is Internal MI which has been agreed for use in publications of Parliamentary questions and Freedom of Information requests. STBA Awarded - Benefit Expenditure Business Information system.

Work Programme: EU Nationals

Mrs Anne-Marie Trevelyan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people from other EU member states receive support through the Work Programme.

Mr Shailesh Vara: The information requested, for those participating in the Work Programme by nationality, is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Housing Benefit: EU Nationals

Mrs Anne-Marie Trevelyan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people from other EU member states were in receipt of housing benefit in each of the last 10 years; and what the total cost to the public purse was of those people claiming that benefit in each of those years.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Social Security Benefits: Multiple Sclerosis

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with multiple sclerosis claiming benefits whose claim (a) partly and (b) solely relates to that condition have had their benefits payments (i) reduced and (ii) ceased after medical reassessment undertaken on behalf of the Department due to that person being in remission from that condition.

Priti Patel: The information requested is not available.

Child Benefit: Fraud

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2016 to Question 27517, how many foreign nationals living in the UK have been prosecuted for a fraudulent child benefit claim for a child living in the EU.

Justin Tomlinson: The Information requested is not available. As DWP does not administer child benefit, we do not legally have any powers to investigate alleged fraudulent claims.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 22 March 2016 to Question 31496, how many appeals were (a) withdrawn and (b) adjourned at the First-Tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support) due to his Department not sending a representative in (i) 2012-13, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15.

Justin Tomlinson: I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the Answer given by the Minister for Justice, my Rt.Hon. Friend, Shailesh Vara, Question UIN 32293

Schools: Vocational Guidance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March to Questions 30367, on vocational guidance, whether he plans that Jobcentre Plus or the Careers and Enterprise company will contact those schools.

Priti Patel: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 March 2016 to question UIN 32032.

Universal Credit: EU Nationals

Mrs Anne-Marie Trevelyan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people from other EU member states were in receipt of universal credit in the most recent period for which figures are available; and what the cost to the public purse was of those payments of that credit.

Priti Patel: The information requested is not currently available. During 2016 we will be publishing further statistics on Universal Credit which will be published in accordance with the relevant protocols in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the value was of (a) jobseeker's allowance and (b) employment and support allowance sanctions imposed by his Department in each of the last five years.

Priti Patel: The Department does not make an estimate of the value of benefit withdrawn as a result of benefit sanctions.

Social Security Benefits: EU Nationals

Mrs Anne-Marie Trevelyan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people from other EU member states have received each type (a) of working aged and (b) in-work benefit in each of the last 10 years; and what the total cost to the public purse was of those people claiming each of those benefits in each of those years.

Priti Patel: The information requested is not available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Welfare State: Reform

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his oral contribution of 21 March 2016, Official Report, column 1284, whether an impact assessment has been carried out on the effect of social security reform on employees in his Department.

Priti Patel: Ministers consider all of their statutory duties in considering new policies and impact assessments are published as is appropriate. A number of impact assessments have been published during the passage of the recent Welfare Reform Act. These use the whole population as a base but do not focus specifically on DWP employees.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Carbon Emissions

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department's contribution is to the Government's emissions reduction plan; and if she will make a statement.

Rory Stewart: Defra is working with DECC towards the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan. This will be the successor to the 2011 Carbon Plan, which is available at:www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-carbon-plan-reducing-greenhouse-gas-emissions--2. The Plan will set out our policies and proposals for meeting the UK’s carbon budgets.

Whales: Pollutants

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the levels of toxic heavy metals, cadmium and mercury, in the sea on the brains and organs of pilot whales in 2012.

George Eustice: Scientists working for Defra have not made any assessment of the levels of cadmium and mercury in the brains and organs of pilot whales in 2012.However, I am aware that the University of Aberdeen carried out assessments of this kind on pilot whales stranded on Scottish beaches in the same year.

Flood Control: Middlesbrough

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which flood defence maintenance works were undertaken in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each year since 2010; and what the cost to the public purse was of each of those works.

Rory Stewart: The Environment Agency regularly cleans and maintains several debris screens on the upper reaches of the Ormesby Beck, Middle Beck and Marton West Beck in Middlesbrough. Other maintenance works by the Environment Agency consist of works to maintain, or improve, the flow of water in rivers where it reduces flood risk to homes. In accordance with data retention rules, the Environment Agency does not hold financial records for more than five years. The table below outlines expenditure since 2011/12. 2011 - 122012 - 132013 - 142014 -152015 - 16£1,370£22,990£21,730£16,920£116,220

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Fines

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much her Department has paid in fines for what reasons to the EU in each of the last five years.

George Eustice: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Newton Abbott, Anne Marie Morris, to PQ UIN 31252 on 21 March 2016. As from financial year 2010/11 Defra has accrued £336m for disallowance following the conclusion of EU audits, broken down by financial year as shown in the table below. This relates to a number of different Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Schemes over a number of historical scheme years as disallowance is paid in arrears. These are the only fines that have been imposed on Defra by the EU since 2010.Disallowance (*) £m10/1111/1212/1313/1414/151814223081(*) Reflects the sums the European Commission have ruled cannot be reimbursed (i.e. the amounts they have “disallowed”). Disallowance is applied when we are considered to not have adequate controls in place to protect CAP expenditure, for example, where our inspection processes or the quality of our mapping have been deemed to be insufficient. We are making a significant investment to improve the quality and currency of our mapping data, which is historically our biggest disallowance risk. Other key sources of historic disallowance include failures to adequately control cross compliance, the Fruit and Vegetable Producer Organisation scheme and some of the Rural Development schemes.

Pets: Disease Control

Mr Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the plans she has to reintroduce tick treatment for pet animals returning to the UK.

George Eustice: The requirement for tick treatment was dropped as part of the harmonisation of the EU pet travel rules for movement and import of non-commercial dogs following a qualitative risk assessment and economic impact assessment for the introduction of Mediterranean Spotted fever (MSF) and the Brown Dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus. The evidence which informed these pieces of work has not changed and therefore there is still no strong scientific basis for reintroducing the requirement for tick treatment to control MSF, a zoonotic disease. Treatments for ticks are readily available and veterinary practices are able to advise on the most appropriate treatments.

White Fish: Conservation

Mr Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken in response to the Resolution of the House of 11 February on conservation of sea bass and the effect of related EU measures on the UK recreational fishing industry.

George Eustice: The Government has noted carefully the points of the Resolution of the House, which have informed the ongoing development of UK policy on bass as we continue to work to improve the sustainability of the stock at both national and EU level.

Africa: Poverty

Mr David Nuttall: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect of the Common Agricultural Policy on the level of poverty among farmers in Africa.

George Eustice: In the past, the CAP ‘dumped’ EU surpluses on global markets through export subsidies. These export subsidies lowered prices for producers in the rest of the world and represented unfair competition with farmers, particularly in developing countries. However, over time the CAP has reformed and negative impacts on producers in the rest of the world have been reduced. In the 1980s, export subsidies accounted for around one-third of the CAP budget, but during the last CAP period they represented only around one per cent of the CAP budget. Furthermore, the EU, along with other developed countries, recently committed to eliminating all export subsidies by 2020 as part of the February World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreement in Nairobi. The EU also grants tariff-free access to its market to Least Developed Countries through the ‘Everything But Arms’ (EBA) agreement. Many of the countries covered by this agreement are in Africa.

Beverage Containers: Recycling

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will launch a consultation on proposals for a deposit return system for single use drinks containers.

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a deposit return scheme for single use drinks containers to reduce litter.

Rory Stewart: Defra analysed the costs and benefits of implementing a deposit return system (DRS) for single use drink containers as part of the 2011 Review of Waste Policy in England, and sought views in the 2012 consultation on higher packaging recycling targets. This work showed that introducing a DRS may increase recycling and reduce litter but might impose additional costs on businesses, consumers and local authorities (which would lose revenue from recycling). However, we lack evidence to quantify these benefits and costs appropriately. The current approach has driven a significant increase in packaging waste recycling rates, from less than 47% in 2003 to nearly 65% in 2013. Last year, the Scottish Government published a feasibility study and a call for evidence investigating the implementation of a DRS for single use drink containers in Scotland. This valuable work highlighted significant uncertainties regarding the impacts and benefits that a DRS would have, notably regarding costs, environmental quality and littering, and existing waste collection systems. The Scottish Government is doing further work on the topic and we will review any new evidence arising from this in due course. However, in the meantime, we will continue to focus on improving existing waste collection and recycling systems, and developing a new National Litter Strategy for England to help coordinate and maximise the impact of anti-litter activity by local government, industry and others.

Animals: Disease Control

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the preparedness is of the Animal and Plant Health Agency to react to and control a potential future animal health outbreak similar in scale to the foot and mouth outbreak of 2001.

George Eustice: The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), compiles the UK contingency plan for exotic notifiable disease that sits above plans designed by Defra and the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Governments.These are key documents that describe the strategic, tactical and operational responses required to any incursion of exotic notifiable disease, such as foot and mouth disease. These plans are complemented by specific GB disease control strategies and APHA work with the Government Departments in each administration to produce the necessary operational instructions.To ensure the plans and instructions are fit for purpose, the UK runs a national animal disease exercise roughly every other year on various exotic diseases and we regularly include foot and mouth disease in those exercises.The next national exercise will be in June 2018 and will be based on a foot and mouth disease scenario.APHA also create and manage an annual programme of regional or country exercises designed to identify best practice and any gaps in existing plans or procedures. They also run table-top exercises for APHA’s policy customers to identify issues that may arise from new and emerging threats such as African Horse Sickness.

Dairy Products: Prices

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps she is taking to ensure that farmers receive fair pricing for their dairy produce.

George Eustice: The £26.2 million aid package we secured from the European Commission has helped to provide some immediate relief. A number of supermarkets have also pledged to pay a premium over and above the current market price. Longer term, we are working to develop futures markets in the dairy sector to help farmers manage risk. At the most recent council meeting in the EU, the UK supported a package of new measures to try to help the dairy sector recover.

Home Office

Intelligence Services: EU Action

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which EU intelligence-sharing agreements the UK is part of; and which intelligence-sharing agreements the UK has with other EU countries.

Mrs Theresa May: I cannot disclose specifics of agreements relating to National Security. However, the UK works closely with European counterparts in the common goal of preventing and disrupting terrorist activity. We work with Member States’ intelligence services on a bilateral basis and through the Counter Terrorism Group. We also collaborate with European partners through bilateral policy and law enforcement exchanges on counter-terrorism and exchange threat assessments and information on our respective approaches to counter terrorism. I regularly raise at Justice and Home Affairs Councils the need for better intelligence cooperation and information sharing among Member States to support our CT investigations.

Repatriation: EEA Nationals

Mr Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2016 to Question 30132, on repatriation: EEA Nationals, how many of those people who were served with administrative removal papers in 2014 are still in the UK; and how many of those people who were forcibly removed have since returned to the UK.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office does not hold data on the number of people who are still in the UK having been served administrative removal papers in 2014. After an EEA national has been served with administrative removal papers, they have 30 days to leave the country. This period is set out in the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006.All those served with administrative removal papers are given a 12-month re-entry ban. Currently, this re-entry ban can only be lifted if the EEA national can provide evidence that their re-admission will not lead to a further abuse of free movement rights and/or that they will be immediately exercising Treaty Rights upon their return. Of the 1,019 individuals who were forcibly removed in 2014, 163 sought re-entry and only 19 were granted re-admission to the UK.

Asylum: EU Law

Hannah Bardell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with her European counterparts on changes to the rules of the Dublin Regulation.

Hannah Bardell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the timetable is for the European Commission's review of the Dublin Regulation.

James Brokenshire: Home Office Ministers have meetings with a wide variety of international partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of these meetings are passed to the Cabinet Office on a quarterly basis and are subsequently published on the Gov.uk website:http://data.gov.uk/dataset/ministerial-data-home-officeThe Commission’s review of the Dublin Regulation started last autumn. The College of Commissioners set out its strategic vision of possible options to reform the Dublin Regulation on 6 April.

Asylum

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that local authorities are properly informed and involved in decisions to distribute asylum seekers.

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that local authorities have appropriate resources to support and deal with increased demand for their services by asylum seekers.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office maintains active partnerships with the local authorities that have volunteered to become dispersal areas across the UK and funds regional Strategic Migration Partnerships (SMPs) to plan the dispersal of asylum seekers across the region. The partnerships consider the impact on communities and local services so that adjustments can be made where appropriate. This ensures that community cohesion, social welfare and safety issues are properly considered.SMPs act as a focal point allowing the sharing of expertise and vital information between the Home Office, its asylum accommodation providers, local government, health, education and the police, ensuring coordinated planning and leadership on asylum dispersion. They also consider other funded objectives such as initiatives in support of visa policy; modern slavery; immigration sanctions and improvement; vulnerable children (including Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children) and adults; No Recourse to Public Funds policies of local government; EU migration and integration.The Home Office, our housing contractors and the SMPs work closely with local authorities to ensure we can accommodate asylum seekers in appropriate accommodation.

Asylum: Housing

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the level of hotel use to house asylum seekers is in each local authority area.

James Brokenshire: Under the COMPASS contracts, providers are allowed to use contingency accommodation to cope with unanticipated increase in demand, but we have made clear to providers that this is only ever acceptable in exceptional situations and asylum seekers must be moved to appropriate longer term accommodation as soon as possible. Providers will inform local authorities about short term contingency accommodation prior to its use.Our records indicate that there are currently 22 hotels in use across 10 local authorities. This is provisional management information that is subject to daily change. It has not been assured to the standard of Official Statistics

Ethnic Groups

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what definition her Department uses for BAME.

Mike Penning: The Government has traditionally used a mix of terms to describe the groups we are working with on race equality: Black and Minority Ethnic (BME); Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME), also ethnic minority and minority ethnic.

Crimes of Violence: Ethnic Groups

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will bring forward policies to tackle violence against women and girls in the BAME communities.

Karen Bradley: The Government published a new Violence Against Women and Girls strategy on 8 March committing £80 million between 2016 and 2020 to protect women and girls from violence and abuse. The increased funding will help to deliver our goal to work with local commissioners to ensure a secure future for rape support centres, refuges and the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Forced Marriage Units, whilst driving a major change across all services which promote early intervention and prevention.The strategy sets out how we will support local areas in implementing tailored services for victims who experience different forms of discrimination or additional barriers to accessing support. This includes the launch of a Service Transformation Fund from 2017 which will help to meet the needs of women and girls experiencing multiple disadvantage including victims from black and minority ethnic communities.We continue to challenge the cultural attitudes that may underpin practices of FGM and forced marriage. We have criminalised forced marriage, set up a specialist FGM Unit, created a mandatory duty for frontline professionals to report FGM to the police, and will publish multi-agency FGM guidance for front-line professionals which we will put on a statutory footing.

Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to publish her Department's proposals on repealing or amending Section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

Karen Bradley: The Government intends to publish its intentions about the review of Section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 shortly.

Refugees: Lebanon

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to encourage LGBTI refugees in Lebanon to apply for resettlement in the UK.

Richard Harrington: We are clear that our scheme will prioritise the most vulnerable refugees, and that is why under the VPR scheme the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) identifies refugees for resettlement using its established vulnerability criteria. These include persons at risk due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.We are working with UNHCR and other partners to intensify their outreach to groups that might otherwise be reluctant to register for fear of stigma/discrimination and unaware of the safe space and options available to them. This includes all religious minorities, LGBTI, people with disabilities, survivors of torture and sexual violence and others.

Refugees: Syria

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will estimate the proportion of Syrian refugees settled in the UK by 2020 who will be LGBTI.

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many LGBTI Syrian refugees she estimates will be resettled in the UK by 2020.

Richard Harrington: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' (UNHCR’s) vulnerability criteria for identifying refugees under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme include persons at risk due to their sexual orientation or gender identity, and LGBTI refugees are identified through their normal screening procedures.We are working with UNHCR and other partners to intensify their outreach to groups that might otherwise be reluctant to register for fear of stigma/discrimination and unaware of the safe space and options available to them. This includes all religious minorities, LGBT, people with disabilities, survivors of torture and sexual violence and others.The scheme is based on need and supports those who cannot be supported effectively in their region of origin, we cannot therefore provide long term forecasts.

Robert Spencer

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether a ban on travelling to the UK still applies to US citizen Mr Robert Spencer.

Mr John Hayes: The Government does not routinely comment on individual immigration cases. As certain information on this particular case has been publicly disclosed, however, I can confirm that on 25 June 2013 the Home Secretary personally directed that Robert Spencer should be excluded from the UK on the grounds that his presence here would not be conducive to the public good.The Home Secretary considered that Mr Spencer brought himself within scope of the unacceptable behaviours policy by making statements that may foster hatred which might lead to inter-community violence in the UK.

National Crime Agency

Ruth Smeeth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 March 2016 to Question 30500, what assistance is provided by National Crime Agency CEOP Command staff to local force investigations into child sexual abuse.

Mike Penning: The National Crime Agency CEOP Command assists UK police forces to tackle child sexual exploitation and abuse in a number of ways. This includes providing training and advice on specialist capabilities, specialist operational support, and expert child protection advice. For example, the Command assists local police forces with advice and guidance on interview and search strategies, categorisation of indecent images of children, victim identification and victim strategies. The wider NCA, including CEOP Command, also provides support to forces as set out in The NCA Commitment to Working in Partnership with UK Operational Powers, which is available on the NCA website.

National Crime Agency

Ruth Smeeth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 March 2016 to Question 30500, what the alternative arrangements are that provide funding for National Crime Agency investigations into non-recent child sexual abuse.

Mike Penning: The non-recent child sexual abuse investigations being conducted by the National Crime Agency are in response to requests from the Chief Officer of the local police forces. As such, the funding for these investigations is from the local police forces.

Refugees: Syria

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the total cost of resettling refugees from Syria in each of the next five years; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Harrington: The first 12 months of each refugee’s resettlement costs under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement (VPR) Scheme will be funded using Official Development Assistance. At the Spending Review the Government committed £129 million to assist with local authority costs over years 2-5 of the scheme.The total estimated cost of the scheme in each of the next five years is: £99 million in 2016-2017, £129 million in 2017-2018, £149 million in 2018-2019 and £83 million in 2020-2021.

Visas

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Tier 2 intra-company transfers for what roles or job descriptions were issued to UK companies in each of the last five years; and what salary each such transferee received.

James Brokenshire: Information on the number of Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) that have been issued by Tier 2 (Intra Company Transfer) sponsors, broken down by the job titles of those they sought to employ and the salary each transferee was to receive, for each of the last five years, will be placed in the House Library. To break these figures down further into in and out of country applications, and whether the application was successful would require manual intervention that would incur disproportionate costs.

Employment: Overseas Students

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of reductions in international student numbers on employment.

Mike Penning: Such an assessment has not been made because the Government is delivering a strong labour market which has seen the employment rate for UK nationals grow to 74.6% in Q4 2015 – an increase of 0.8 percentage points compared to the previous year and the highest since records began.The student migration system we inherited was too weak, and open to widespread abuse, damaging the UK’s reputation as a provider of world-class education. The National Audit Office reported that in 2009/10 up to 50,000 students may have come to work, not study.We have clamped down on immigration abuse from poor quality institutions selling immigration rather than education, and since 2010 we have struck off more than 920 bogus colleges. Visa applications for the further education sector, where abuse has been most prevalent over recent years, are down 75 per cent compared with 2010.At the same time, we have maintained a highly competitive offer for international students who would like to study at our world-class institutions. This is borne out by the figures: visa applications from international students to study at British universities are up by 16 per cent since 2010, whilst visa applications to our world-leading Russell Group institutions are up by 39 per cent since 2010. There remains no limit on the number of genuine international students who can study in the UK.We will continue to reform the student visa system to tackle abuse and deliver an effective immigration system that works in the national interest.

Police and Crime Commissioners: Mayors

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria she uses to assess a bid from a metro mayor to assume the additional role of police and crime commissioner.

Mike Penning: Any proposal submitted by a local area for an elected mayor to take on police and crime commissioner (PCC) functions will be considered on a case-by-case basis.In keeping with the Government’s broader approach to the devolution of powers to local people, it is for local areas to make the case and demonstrate that the transfer of PCC functions would be in the best interests of local communities and the efficiency and effectiveness of policing in relevant areas.There is no presumption that an elected mayor would take on PCC functions. Local circumstances and the views of relevant PCCs are important factors in any consideration. Alongside this, another significant consideration is the issue of geographic boundaries and co-terminosity between the police area and the combined authority area.Against that background, it is for local areas to make the case for any proposals.

Visas

Ruth Smeeth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 22 March 2016 to Question 31677, what the average salary is of people awarded Tier 2 (ICT) visas to work in the IT industry; and how many such visas have been awarded in each pay band in each of the last three years.

Mike Penning: The Home Office does not hold this information in the format requested.

Visas

Ruth Smeeth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 22 March 2016 Question 31677, how many Tier 2 (ICT) visa applications were denied because the Certificate of Sponsorship does not specify a salary of at least £28,400 in the last three years.

Mike Penning: The Home Office does not hold this information in the format requested.

Government Departments: Databases

Dr Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether, when considering whether to acquire a bulk personal dataset from another government department under the Investigatory Powers Bill, she plans to consult the Secretary of State for that department.

Mike Penning: The Investigatory Powers Bill provides for robust and transparent safeguards relating to the security and intelligence agencies’ use of bulk personal datasets (BPDs). This includes a new requirement for warrants to authorise the retention and examination of BPDs. The Bill provides for both class BPD warrants, covering datasets of a particular class, and specific BPD warrants, covering an individual dataset. The draft statutory Code of Practice provides further guidance on the factors that the security and intelligence agencies should consider in determining which type of warrant to apply for. These include whether the nature or the provenance of the dataset raises particularly novel or contentious issues; whether it contains a significant component of intrusive data; and whether it contains a significant component of confidential information relating to members of sensitive professions. All warrants will be subject to the ‘double-lock’ safeguard meaning that they will be subject to approval by both a Secretary of State and a Judicial Commissioner.

Visas

Ruth Smeeth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 22 March 2016 to Question 31677, what checks are undertaken to ensure that the terms of a Tier 2 (ICT) visa Certificate of Sponsorship are adhered to.

Mike Penning: A variety of checks are undertaken on sponsor licence holders and the migrants they assign certificates of sponsorship to. Compliance visits are undertaken during the licensing process and post-licensing audits are undertaken to verify the duties performed by the sponsored workers adhere to those set out by the sponsor in the certificate of sponsorship. Officers can request payslips, work contracts and evidence of duties performed by the sponsored worker during compliance visits. In some cases, other regulatory requirements are verified with other government departments or regulatory bodies during investigations of possible non-compliance. Officers can interview both sponsors and sponsored workers during compliance visits to seek assurances and gather information and evidence of compliance with the duties of sponsorship. Overseas we can undertake checks in to the credibility of the international presence of an ICT sponsor licence holder where there is concern to do so.All roles are assessed to confirm the duties and salary meet the requirements set out in the standard occupation classification codes. The sponsored worker may also be called for interview during the visa consideration process to check their credibility and test the individual meets the requirements of sponsorship under Tier 2 (ICT).

Visas

Ruth Smeeth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 22 March 2016 to Question 31677, what the penalties are for an employer who has issued a Certificate of Sponsorship but does not adhere to the stated job description and salary.

Mike Penning: Guidance for sponsors specifies that UKVI will revoke the licence of a sponsor who has issued a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) but has not adhered to the specified job description and/or salary. However, prior to the consideration of revocation action, UKVI will suspend the licence and allow the sponsor the opportunity to make representations against the matter(s) identified. UKVI does have residual discretion to apply a lesser sanctions depending on the severity of the matter(s) and the mitigating circumstances presented by the sponsor; these sanctions include downgrading the licence rating and issuing a time limited action plan or reducing the sponsor’s CoS allocation or setting the allocation to zero.

Visas

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Tier 2 intra-company visas were issued for the IT industry in each of the last 10 years.

Mike Penning: The Home Office does not record information about the issue of Tier 2 intra-company visas by industrial classification. It is therefore not possible to provide the information requested.Information about people working in IT related roles is available, but these roles are not all in the IT industry. It is not possible to break this data down by industry.

UK Membership of EU

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the contribution of the UK's membership of the EU to the Government's aims of tackling terrorist and criminal networks.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the contribution of the UK's membership of the EU to the UK's work in identifying and detaining criminals.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the contribution of the UK's membership of the EU to the UK's work in (a) preventing and (b) identifying and detaining terrorists.

James Brokenshire: Terrorism and serious organised crime are global threats that cross national borders. Our unique relationship with the EU gives UK law enforcement access to EU tools and instruments that help keep people safe and tackle serious and organised crime, but also mean we are not obliged to participate in new measures when we do not judge them to be in the national interest.The tools and instruments that the UK participates in include Europol, an EU agency which supports cross-border police operations and intelligence sharing, and can assist in the identification of terrorist threats; the European Arrest Warrant, which allows swift extradition between EU countries of individuals accused or convicted of a criminal offence; and the second generation Schengen Information System (SIS II), which enables law enforcement agencies around the EU to share live alerts, for example, for missing people and stolen vehicles. The UK is also in the process of implementing Prum, which will give us access to fingerprint and DNA data from other member states.Since 2004, using the European Arrest Warrant, over 1,000 individuals accused or convicted of a criminal offence have faced justice in UK courts and over 7,000 have been extradited from the UK.

Asylum: Applications

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what mechanisms her Department has in place to determine the geographic distribution of asylum seekers awaiting decisions on asylum applications.

Mike Penning: The Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 introduced the policy of national dispersal, designed to share the impact of asylum seekers across the whole of the UK. Asylum seekers are housed across the UK under voluntary agreements between national government and local authorities that have been in place since 2000.We work to a maximum agreed dispersal ratio of 1:200 asylum seekers per head of total population. We are proactively engaging with all areas that to date have not participated in asylum dispersal with a view to negotiating voluntary agreements to do so.

Asylum: Housing

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce the number of asylum seekers placed in hotels while awaiting decisions on asylum applications.

Mike Penning: We have continued to make clear to our providers that the use of hotels is only acceptable as a short-term contingency arrangement and we are supporting all measures being pursued by providers to increase procurement to provide sufficient accommodation as a matter of urgency.With the support of local authorities we, and our housing providers, are engaging with areas that to date have not participated in asylum dispersal with a view to negotiating voluntary agreements to do so. We are also working through a range of other options for accommodating asylum seekers safely and securely.

Immigration: Applications

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many leave to remain applications have been refused as a result of the good character test in each year for which information is available.

Mike Penning: We are unable to supply the information requested, as Leave to Remain (LTR) applications are not assessed or refused on the basis of ‘the good character test’ . LTR applications are assessed against a range of criteria, including on the basis of the applicants suitability – which may be their character, convictions, associations or other reasons which may mean that their being in the UK is not ‘conducive to the public good’.The specific refusal reasons entered onto the Home Office IT system during the assessment of a case, consist of a free-form text field, which can only be accessed on a case-by-case basis and therefore a wider Management Information report is not available for this question.

Asylum: Applications

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum applications have been refused as a result of the good character test in each year for which information is available.

James Brokenshire: Guidance on the good character requirement is published at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/406368/Chapter18AnnexDv02.pdfIt is a requirement that applies to anybody over the age of ten who applies for naturalisation or registration and therefore plays no part in the assessment of asylum applications.

Immigrants: English Language

Stuart Blair Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many colleges and universities have had (a) sponsorship licences revoked and (b) faced other restrictions related to allegations of English Language Test fraud; and what steps she plans to take to reconsider those revocations and restrictions.

Mike Penning: This data is published on the following website:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/temporary-and-permanent-migration-data-february-2016As this is linked to ongoing litigation, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.

Immigrants: English Language

Stuart C. McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will estimate the number of people affected by the decision of 23 March 2016 of the Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) in the case Qadir v Secretary of State; and what steps she plans to take to (a) notify those people affected and (b) support appeals of previous immigration decisions by those people affected.

Mike Penning: We are disappointed by the decision in Qadir and SM and, once we have the full determination, we will consider challenging it. Until we have the full determination, we cannot make an assessment of the number of persons affected.

Visas

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what process Tier 2 intra-company transfer visas for IT undergo when they reach her Department.

Mike Penning: The process for handling Tier 2 intra company transfer (ICT) visas for IT is the same as that for any other application under the Tier 2 intra company transfer arrangements. All applications are validated to ensure the correct fees have been paid, all mandatory questions have been answered on the forms, and applicants have submitted their biometric information. Checks are also undertaken on every application to assess any adverse immigration or security issues.

Police and Crime Commissioners: Mayors

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what powers she has to shorten the term of a Police and Crime Commissioner elected in May 2016 in order that the role is subsumed by a Metro-Mayor.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she is permitted to consider a bid from a Combined Authority for a Police and Crime Commissioner elected in May 2016 to be subsumed by a Metro-Mayor.

Mike Penning: If a local area were to make the case to transfer Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) functions to an elected mayor, secondary legislation would set out the details of the transfer of powers and the relevant timescales based on discussions between the local area and central government.These powers are provided for in Section 107F of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 (as amended by the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016), which sets out the Secretary of State’s necessary order making powers to enable the transfer of PCC functions to an elected mayor.Local areas can put forward a proposal to transfer PCC functions at any time and, as stated in response to the honourable member’s earlier question on this issue [32271], any proposal submitted by a local area for an elected mayor to take on PCC functions would be considered on its merits, on a case-by-case basis. The timing of any transfer of powers would also form part of this consideration.

Immigration Officers: Surveillance

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2016 to Question 31078, on immigration officers, whether (a) her Department, (b) the Interception of Communications Commissioner and (c) any other body has reviewed the use of the power of immigration officers to carry out property interference since 2013.

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2016 to Question 31078, on immigration officers, what policy, guidance or code of practice is provided to immigration officers carrying out equipment interference.

James Brokenshire: The Office of Surveillance Commissioners (OSC) provides independent oversight of the use of property interference powers by law enforcement, including immigration officers. The Police Act 1997 was amended in 2013 to enable immigration officers to carry out property interference. The OSC regularly inspects law enforcement use of the power and scrutinises all individual property interference authorisations. A statutory code of practice for covert surveillance and property interference which can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/384975/Covert_Surveillance_Property_Interrefernce_web__2_.pdfapplies to all agencies with property interference powers.The Investigatory Powers Bill will provide enhanced safeguards for the use of equipment interference, including the requirement that equipment interference warrants are subject to the double-lock authorisation safeguard. The Bill will also create a new and more powerful Investigatory Powers Commissioner who will keep the use of this important power under close and regular review. A new Equipment Interference Code of Practice was published in draft alongside the Investigatory Powers Bill. This Code will provide further guidance on the use of equipment interference powers to all relevant agencies.

Passports

Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has for future provision of the collective passport service.

James Brokenshire: As indicated in my replies of 23 February 2016 [27190] and 15 March 2016 [30705], a review on the future use of the Collective passport is underway. The outcome of that review will be announced on completion of stakeholder engagement.

Human Trafficking: Females

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will estimate how many and what proportion of all women with mental health issues in the UK have been internally or internationally trafficked.

Mike Penning: The Home Office do not hold data that allows us to establish how many women with mental health issues in the UK have been trafficked.

Slavery: Yorkshire and the Humber

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases of (a) human trafficking and (b) forced labour have been recorded by Humberside Police for each year from 2010 to 2014; in how many such cases prosecutions were brought; and what the outcomes were of those prosecutions.

Mike Penning: Recorded crime figures for the period 2010 to 2014 do not directly map on to the two categories in the question. Data on human trafficking for sexual exploitation shows that one case of this type was recorded by Humberside in 2012/13. Crime recording rules stipulate that only the most serious offence in a sequence of crimes is recorded, so it is possible that other cases of trafficking for sexual exploitation offences have been recorded under even more serious crime types.On a principal offence basis, no defendants were proceeded against, convicted or sentenced at magistrates’ courts during the period 2010 to 2014 for offences related to human trafficking and forced labour in the Humberside Police Force Area. Such data is recorded on the basis of the location of the magistrates’ court where proceedings started, so it may be that an offence recorded in Humberside was then proceeded against in another police force area.

Immigrants: English Language

Stuart C. McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish all correspondence between her Department and ETS relating to allegations of English language text fraud.

James Brokenshire: There are on-going criminal investigations and prosecutions into matters connected with cheating in ETS tests and it would be inappropriate to release any information or details of correspondence in the circumstances.

Immigrants: English Language

Stuart C. McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will commission an independent inquiry into the role of (a) her Department and (b) ETS related to allegations of English Language Test fraud.

James Brokenshire: The investigation into the abuse of English language testing in 2014 revealed extremely serious, large scale, organised fraud and it is right that the Home Office took decisive action in respect of those against whom there was evidence of cheating. We are disappointed by the decision of the Upper Tribunal and, once we have the full determination, we will consider our next steps carefully, including an appeal of this decision.

Immigrants: English Language

Stuart C. McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what independent scrutiny her Department commissioned of reports of invalid and questionable results in English Language tests conducted by ETS.

James Brokenshire: We are disappointed by the decision of the recent Upper Tribunal. Once we have the full determination we will carefully consider next steps, including appealing the decision.

*No heading*

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of police funding after service reorganisation.

Mike Penning: The Government has protected overall police spending for the coming Spending Review period, once police precept is taken into account. The public can be confident that over the next four years the police will have the resources they need to carry on cutting crime, fighting terrorism and keeping the people of this country safe.

*No heading*

James Cartlidge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to tackle people trafficking.

Karen Bradley: This Government is committed to stamping out Modern Slavery, including human trafficking. Our Modern slavery Act gives law enforcement agencies the tools they need to tackle this heinous crime, places a duty on large businesses to report on their steps to prevent modern slavery in their global supply chains, and ensures that perpetrators can receive suitably severe sentences of up to life imprisonment.

*No heading*

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of neighbourhood policing capacity.

Mike Penning: Decisions about the number of officers deployed to neighbourhood policing, and their specific roles, are for Chief Constables and democratically accountable Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs). They are responsible for ensuring the needs of the local community are met. Priorities for each area are set out in the PCC’s – in London the Mayor’s - Police and Crime Plan. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary independently assesses the efficiency and effectiveness of police force activity, including neighbourhood policing.

*No heading*

Suella Fernandes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to (a) stop firearms, drugs and other contraband from entering the UK and (b) tackle human trafficking in UK waters.

Mrs Theresa May: The United Kingdom’s border controls are among the toughest in the world. Border Force works closely with other law enforcement agencies, including the National Crime Agency and Police, to combat suspected human trafficking and to target and disrupt those who would attempt to smuggle prohibited and restricted goods such as firearms and illegal drugs in to the UK.

HM Treasury

Social Security Benefits: EU Nationals

Mr Christopher Chope: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 22 March 2016 to Question 29759, which paragraphs of the White Paper, The Best of Both Worlds, disclose what data the Government used to assess the effect of its policy (a) to restrict the payment of child benefit to EU nationals resident in the UK in respect of their children resident outside the UK and (b) to restrict entitlement of some EU nationals to tax credits.

Damian Hinds: I refer my honourable friend to the footnotes in Section D “Welfare and free movement” of the White Paper.

Child Benefit: Foreign Nationals

Mr Christopher Chope: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2016 to Question 29775, in what format information is held on the value of child benefit claims in respect of children living in another EEA country or Switzerland.

Damian Hinds: Around 7m people are receiving Child Benefit. To extract and collate the value of all payments made to EU migrants for children living outside the UK in the format requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Information relating to the number of Child Benefit claims paid to families with children living overseas is available in the Government publication , “The best of both worlds: the United Kingdom's special status in a reformed European Union”. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-best-of-both-worlds-the-united-kingdoms-special-status-in-a-reformed-european-union

Devolution: Greater Manchester

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 1.293 of Budget 2016, how his Department plans to support the establishment of a Life Chances Investment Fund; and how much funding will be allocated to that Fund.

Greg Hands: The government will work with Greater Manchester to establish a Life Chances Investment Fund from April 2017. This will bring together into a single pot funding from the Troubled Families programme, the Working Well pilot, the Cabinet Office Life Chances Fund and Greater Manchester’s own resources. The precise size of the Fund will be agreed over the coming months. Further detail on the government and Greater Manchester’s plans for this Fund can be found in the document on further devolution to Greater Manchester agreed alongside the Budget. This is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/devolution-to-the-greater-manchester-combined-authority-and-transition-to-a-directly-elected-mayor.

Income Tax: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many higher-rate taxpayers there are in Solihull.

Mr David Gauke: Estimates of the number of taxpayers at each income tax rate band are published in HM Revenue and Customs' National Statistics which are available on the internet. The figures at UK level are published in table 2.1: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/number-of-individual-income-taxpayers-by-marginal-rate-gender-and-age Breakdowns by country and region are published in table 2.2 including the West Midlands, which contains the parliamentary constituency of Solihull: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/number-of-individual-income-taxpayers-by-marginal-rate-gender-and-age-by-country The latest available published data shows a projection of 314,000 higher rate taxpayers in the West Midlands in 2015-16. These estimates are based on the 2012-13 Survey of Personal Incomes, projected to 2015-16 using economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibility’s March 2015 economic and fiscal outlook. HM Treasury does not publish this information at constituency level.

Individual Savings Accounts

Julian Knight: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of people likely to take up the lifetime ISA in the first year of its operation.

Harriett Baldwin: The Government is creating a new Lifetime ISA, providing savers with the flexibility to save towards a first home and retirement at the same time. From April 2017, people aged 18 to 40 will be able to open and save up to £4,000 each year into a Lifetime ISA and receive a 25% bonus from the Government, paid annually after the end of the tax year.People can make full withdrawals from their Lifetime ISA accounts for a first home purchase (subject to a house price cap of £450,000 UK-wide) or from age 60. These withdrawals will be tax free.The Lifetime ISA is a voluntary product. For further information on the costing of this policy, please see page 9 of the Budget 2015 Policy Costings document: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/508147/PU1912_Policy_Costings_FINAL3.pdf More than 350,000 first time buyers have opened a Help to Buy ISA since it became available.

Sugar: Taxation

Gavin Robinson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with response to his contribution of 16 March 2016, Official Report, column 963-64, whether the proposed exemption from the sugar levy for fruit juices will apply to (a) fruit juices with added sugar and (b) fruit juices with natural sugars only.

Mr David Gauke: The levy applies to drinks with added sugar, excluding milk-based drinks. Therefore, the levy will apply to fruit juices with added sugar, but not to fruit juices containing only naturally occurring sugar.

Individual Savings Accounts

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the annual amount saved in ISA accounts across each income group in financial year (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Harriett Baldwin: ISA statistics are published on the National Archives website and GOV.UK website.

Individual Savings Accounts

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the total contribution from the public purse to Lifetime ISAs in financial year (a) 2017-18 (b) 2018-19 and (c) 2019-20; and if he will make a statement.

Harriett Baldwin: The Government is creating a new Lifetime ISA, providing savers with the flexibility to save towards a first home and retirement at the same time. From April 2017, people aged 18 to 40 will be able to open and save up to £4,000 each year into a Lifetime ISA and receive a 25% bonus from the Government, paid annually after the end of the tax year.People can make full withdrawals from their Lifetime ISA accounts for a first home purchase (subject to a house price cap of £450,000 UK-wide) or from age 60. These withdrawals will be tax free.An estimate of the Exchequer impact from this policy was set out in Table 2.1 of the Budget 2016 document. For further information, please see page 9 of the Budget 2016 Policy Costings document: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/508147/PU1912_Policy_Costings_FINAL3.pdf

Sanitary Protection: VAT

Lady Hermon: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of the Tampon Tax Fund was allocated to (a) Women's Aid and (b) other women's charities in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Mr David Gauke: The Chancellor announced initial donations from the Tampon Tax Fund at Autumn Statement totalling £5m. Further grants totalling £12 million were announced at Budget to support a range of charities that are making a significant impact in the lives of women and girls. This included an award of £118,000 to Parenting NI. £5.2 million of funding was allocated to Comic Relief and Rosa, who will disburse funding to a range of grassroots women’s organisations across the UK, including those in Northern Ireland. Details of all charities awarded funding at Budget can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/budget-2016-documents/budget-2016

Sanitary Protection: VAT

Lady Hermon: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which women's organisations in Northern Ireland received funding from the Tampon Tax Fund; what the amount was that each such organisation received; and if he will make a statement.

Mr David Gauke: The Chancellor announced initial donations from the Tampon Tax Fund at Autumn Statement totalling £5m. Further grants totalling £12 million were announced at Budget to support a range of charities that are making a significant impact in the lives of women and girls. This included an award of £118,000 to Parenting NI. £5.2 million of funding was allocated to Comic Relief and Rosa, who will disburse funding to a range of grassroots women’s organisations across the UK, including those in Northern Ireland. Details of all charities awarded funding at Budget can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/budget-2016-documents/budget-2016

Money Laundering: EU Law

Mr Charles Walker: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of implementation of the Fourth EU Money Laundering Directive, 2015/849 on trade between US and European banks and financial service companies and their UK equivalents which include on their Board a Member of the House of Lords.

Mr Charles Walker: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the Fourth Money Laundering Directive on the ability in future of members of the House of Lords to continue to serve on the boards of banks and financial services companies; and if he will make a statement.

Harriett Baldwin: Under the Fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive, which will be transposed into national law by June 2017, a politically exposed person is one who has been entrusted with a prominent public function domestically or by a foreign country. The Government will publish an Impact Assessment in due course. This will set out the benefits and costs for businesses in a wide range of sectors, including banking and financial services. The changes proposed under the Directive should not prevent any individual in this category from gaining or maintaining access to financial services. Board appointments will remain a matter for individual banks and financial services companies in line with relevant codes and regulations. The Treasury regularly raises the Directive with financial institutions and the regulator, and we encourage financial institutions to take a proportionate, risk-based approach when applying these measures.

Royal Bank of Scotland

Richard Burgon: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish and place in the Library his correspondence on the (a) sale of Government's Dividend Access Share and (b) proposed sale of Government shares in Royal Bank of Scotland since August 2015.

Richard Burgon: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what advice he has received from (a) the Governor of the Bank of England and (b) Rothschilds Bank on the proposed sale of Government shares in Royal Bank of Scotland since August 2015; and if he will place a copy of such advice in the Library.

Harriett Baldwin: HM Government reached an agreement with RBS and the European Commission on 9 April 2014 to amend the terms of the Dividend Access Share (DAS). The full terms of this agreement can be found on the European Commission’s website:http://europa.eu The first sale of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) shares was conducted in August 2015. The advice which the Chancellor received from a) the Governor of the Bank of England; b) N.M. Rothschild; c) HM Treasury; and d) UK Financial Investments (UKFI) is available on the Government’s website:www.gov.uk. The government has not undertaken any sale of RBS shares since August 2015.

Bank of Credit and Commerce International Inquiry

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place a full copy of Lord Justice Bingham's report Inquiry into the Supervision of The Bank of Credit and Commerce International, published in October 1992, on the closure of The Bank of Credit and Commerce International (HC 198 1992/93), in the Library.

Harriett Baldwin: As requested by the Hon. Member, a copy of the document will be made available in the Library of the House.

UK Membership of EU

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what advice he has received from the Office for Budget Responsibility on the effect on the economy in the event of the UK leaving the EU.

Mr David Gauke: A vote to leave the EU is identified as an economic risk in the OBR’s March 2016 Economic and Fiscal Outlook, which states that it “could usher in an extended period of uncertainty regarding the precise terms of the UK’s future relationship with the EU. This could have negative implications for activity via business and consumer confidence and might result in greater volatility in financial and other asset markets”.

UK Membership of EU

Justin Madders: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Office for Budget Responsibility on the potential implications of the UK withdrawing from the EU.

Mr David Gauke: The Office for Budget Responsibility have set out their approach to assessing the implications of a UK withdrawal from the EU in their March 2016 Economic and fiscal outlook (see Box 3.4).

Immigration

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 23 March 2016 to Question 31494, what recent discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on immigration policy; and if he will make a statement.

Greg Hands: Treasury Ministers have regular discussions with Ministers from other departments on a range of different policies as part of collective decision making.

Financial Services: Advisory Services

Seema Malhotra: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.228 of Budget 2016, when he expects the new money guidance body to be established.

Seema Malhotra: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.228 of Budget 2016, when he expects the new pensions guidance body to be established.

Seema Malhotra: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.228 of Budget 2016, on what date he plans to close the Money Advice Service.

Seema Malhotra: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.228 of Budget 2016, what the timetable is for the restructuring of the Money Advice Service, the Pensions Advisory Service and Pension Wise.

Harriett Baldwin: At Budget 2016, the government published its response to the Public Financial Guidance Review and launched a consultation seeking views on the government's plans to restructure the statutory financial guidance providers – the Money Advice Service, The Pensions Advisory Service and Pension Wise. This paper, which closes on 8 June 2016, sets out a new delivery model for public financial guidance and seeks views on how, within this model, the proposed services could best be offered. The new delivery model is designed to better complement the financial guidance provided by the third sector and the industry and provide more targeted support for consumers. The government will consider the responses to this consultation over the summer, and in parallel, work closely with the affected organisations to finalise the delivery structure. A detailed timetable will be set out with the final response, which will be published in the autumn. The government has been clear that the three affected organisations will continue to provide guidance to consumers until at least 2018.

Royal Bank of Scotland

Richard Burgon: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of the initial disposal of Government shares in Royal Bank of Scotland in August 2015 on (a) the share price and (b) the proposed future sale of shares.

Richard Burgon: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to establish a minimum price below which Government shares in Royal Bank of Scotland will not be sold.

Richard Burgon: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what criteria he plans to use to ensure sales of Government shares in Royal Bank of Scotland maximise value for the public purse.

Harriett Baldwin: The first sale of Government shares in RBS was conducted in August 2015 and raised £2.1 billion for the taxpayer. This was an important first step in returning the bank to private ownership, which is the right thing to do for the taxpayer and for British businesses: it will promote financial stability, lead to a more competitive banking sector, and support the interests of the wider economy. The government will conduct further sales of RBS shares subject to market conditions, and in doing so will maximise value for the taxpayer. The returns on the government’s interventions in RBS will be determined by the success of the whole of the selling programme, rather than the terms achieved on the first few disposals.

Social Services: Minimum Wage

Andrew Gwynne: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many employers in the social care sector have been found to be non-compliant with national minimum wage legislation in each of the last three years; how much was owed in arrears by each such employer to how many underpaid workers; and what the total value of penalties levied on those employers is.

Mr David Gauke: The Government is determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) receives it. Anyone who feels they have been underpaid NMW should contact the Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100. HMRC review all complaints that are referred to them and currently fast track for investigation any care worker direct complaints received through the Acas helpline. Extensive evaluation of NMW compliance within the Social Care sector between 1 April 2011 and 31 March 2013 is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-minimum-wage-compliance-in-the-social-care-sector Information for the last three years is provided in the table below: YearNon-compliant cases identifiedArrears (£)WorkersPenalties issued (£)2012/1358209,2501,93571,9512013/1428785,9333,52439,8472014/1540420,7061,97073,707 Data for 2015/16 will be available after year-end.

Banks

Richard Burgon: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 29 February 2016 to Question 27454, on banks, what the (a) date of, (b) details of who attended and (c) organisations represented were at each meeting.

Harriett Baldwin: Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel

Landlords: Tax Allowances

Debbie Abrahams: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.59 of the Summer Budget 2015, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of restricting finance cost relief for landlords on the ability of private individuals who operate buy-to-let businesses with large private buy-to-let companies.

Harriett Baldwin: An individual’s property income is subject to a separate set of tax rules to those of a private company. Once the changes are fully in place by 2020-21, all individuals will get finance cost relief at the basic rate of income tax, 20%. Incorporated businesses will continue to receive relief at the corporate tax rate which is currently 20% and due to fall to 17% in 2020.

Employee Ownership: Income Tax

Chris Leslie: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to Table 2.1 of the March Budget 2013, what his most recent estimate is of the effect of employee shareholder status income tax measures in 2015-16.

Mr David Gauke: The most recent estimate of the Exchequer cost in 2015-16 of employee shareholder status from Income Tax and National Insurance Contribution relief is the figure published in Table 2.1 of the 2013 March Budget.

Fuels: Excise Duties

Royston Smith: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2016 to Question 30272, what account he has made of the effect on economic growth of the recent reduction in fuel duty.

Damian Hinds: The Government took into account a wide number of factors when considering the impact of freezing fuel duty at Budget 2016, including the impact on growth. HMRC/HM Treasury analysis published in 2014 can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/analysis-of-the-dynamic-effects-of-fuel-duty-reductions

Betting: Taxation

Chris Leslie: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2016 to Question 30533, for what reasons a separate breakdown for revenue accrued from financial spread betting and other general betting duties is not available; and if he will make a statement.

Damian Hinds: Published information on General Betting Duty receipts is not split down into constituent types of bets (such as financial or other types of spread bets).

Department for Energy and Climate Change

Money Laundering: EU Law

Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate her Department has made of the number of its senior civil servants who will potentially fall under the provisions of the fourth EU Money Laundering Directive, 2015/849; and what assessment she has made of which of her Department's agencies or other public bodies will potentially be classed as holding a prominent public function for the purposes of that directive.

Andrea Leadsom: Holding answer received on 22 March 2016



Under the Fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive, which will be transposed into national law by June 2017, a politically exposed person is one who has been entrusted with a prominent public function domestically or by a foreign country. The Government's view is that the Directive permits a risk-based approach to the identification of whether an individual is a politically exposed person and, when identified, the Directive enables the application of different degrees of enhanced measures to reflect the risks posed. We will be setting out this view in our consultation which will be published shortly. This change should not prevent any individual in this category from gaining or maintaining access to financial services. We encourage financial institutions to take a proportionate risk-based approach when applying these measures.

Department for Energy and Climate Change: European Social Fund

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much funding her Department received from the European Social Fund (a) between 2007 and 2014 and (b) from 2014 to the last month for which data is available.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department for Energy and Climate Change received no funding from the European Social Fund between 2007 and 2014, nor subsequently.

Energy: Storage

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether her Department plans to develop standard technical guidance and best practice guidelines for the energy storage market to ensure the safety and consistency of installations.

Andrea Leadsom: DECC has provided more than £18million of innovation funding for energy storage since 2012 and this has included support for development of a Good Practice Guide on Electrical Energy Storage which was published in December 2014. The Good Practice Guide uses case studies and key lessons from recent energy storage demonstration projects to provide a practical reference guide for organisations which are interested in deploying or developing electrical energy storage in Great Britain. DECC officials are also involved in ongoing discussions led by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) on technical guidance for electrical energy storage systems. Independent, professional bodies, such as the IET, are well-placed to lead development of relevant technical guidelines.

Carbon Sequestration: United Arab Emirates

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will ask her counterpart in the United Arab Emirates government for emissions data and costing information on the Abu Dhabi carbon capture and storage project; and if she will place a copy of that information in the Library.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will ask her counterpart in the US administration for emissions data and costing information on the Petra Nova carbon capture and storage project; and if she will place a copy of that information in the Library.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will ask her counterpart in the US administration for emissions data and costing information on the Kemper County energy facility, Mississippi; and if she will place a copy of that information in the Library.

Andrea Leadsom: DECC officials are in regular contact with their counterparts in other Governments, including the United States and United Arab Emirates, to exchange information on carbon capture and storage. This dialogue includes, within the limits of normal commercial confidentiality, progress in developing specific projects.

Carbon Emissions

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the UK meets its renewed target of zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Andrea Leadsom: The Government believes we will need to take the step of enshrining the global goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions in the second half of the century, agreed in Paris, into UK law. The question is not whether but how we do it. The Government also remains committed to its existing Climate Change Act target of an at least 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 on 1990 levels. Our working assumption is that we will publish our Emissions Reduction Plan by the end of 2016, which will set out our proposals for meeting our Climate Change Act targets.

Coal Fired Power Stations: Canada

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will ask her Canadian counterpart for (a) emissions data and (b) the cost of the boundary dam power station in Saskatchewan, Canada; and if she will place that information in the Library.

Andrea Leadsom: DECC officials are in regular contact with their counterparts in other Governments, including Canada, to exchange information on carbon capture and storage. Canadian counterparts will attend the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum in June which the UK is hosting. The exchanges include the progress of projects; however some of the specific information on the projects (such as Boundary Dam) is commercially sensitive and would not be disclosed. For the same reason we do not expect to publish any information in the House library.

Energy: Prices

Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, which measures originating in the EU have an effect on the level of energy bills.

Amber Rudd: Many EU policies, energy related and wider, have the potential to impact on the level of energy bills. These include the single European market for energy, product standards to improve energy efficiency and measures to meet climate change objectives.

Coal Fired Power Stations

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will seek evidence from (a) the NUM, (b) Unite, (c) Hargreaves Services plc, (d) Banks Mining, (e) Celtic Energy and (f) Miller Agent in her Department's consultation on the future of coal-fired power stations; and if she will make a statement.

Andrea Leadsom: All interested parties including the NUM, Unite, Hargreaves Services plc, Banks Mining, Celtic Energy and Miller Agent are encouraged to engage and respond to the consultation.

Energy: Meters

Mr Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what (a) evidence her Department holds and (b) research her Department has undertaken on the effect of smart meters on people with electromagnetic hypersensitivity.

Andrea Leadsom: DECC takes its advice on matters related to public health from Public Health England. Public Health England has conducted and reviewed research on the effects of smart meters and has stated that the radio waves produced by smart meters do not pose a risk to health, including to those who identify themselves as electromagnetically sensitive. More information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/smart-meters-radio-waves-and-health/smart-meters-radio-waves-and-health.

Energy

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department plan to take in response to the key themes set out in the discussion paper published by Ofgem in September 2015.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department is taking steps in a number of areas that respond to the key themes set out in Ofgem’s paper on ‘Non-traditional business models’. This includes: Working closely with Ofgem, looking at removing barriers that are holding back smart energy solutions, including demand side response and storage. We plan to issue a call for evidence on smart energy in due course followed by a Government response, which will outline the future direction of the work. Further information can be found in the document ‘Towards a Smart Energy System’:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/486362/Towards_a_smart_energy_system.pdf.Allocating at least £50m for innovation in energy storage, demand-side response and other smart technologies over the next five years to help promising new technologies and business models access the market. In addition, we are supportive of the work by Ofgem to:Review the regulatory regime for local energy to ensure consumer benefits are realised;Consult shortly on providing innovation spaces for experimentation, giving more regulatory certainty for innovative approaches within the existing regulatory framework.Consult on the future of the £100m Network Innovation Competition to better enable network innovation by non-licenced companies from 2017, to maximise the delivery of genuinely innovative projects and technologies.

Smart Energy GB

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what plans she has to ensure that Smart Energy GB takes steps to reduce instances of engineers having to make more than one visit to an address because a customer was not at home.

Andrea Leadsom: Smart Energy GB is responsible for providing a programme of national consumer engagement about the roll-out of smart meters in Great Britain. Its website provides information and advice to consumers about the installation process, including the need to be at the premises during the installation: https://www.smartenergygb.org/en/how-to-get-a-smart-meter/the-installation-process. In addition, energy suppliers are required under the Smart Meter Installation Code of Practice to ensure that their communications about the installation visit explain clearly to the customer that they need to be at the premises: http://www.smicop.co.uk/SitePages/Home.aspx.

Renewable Energy

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what her policy is on making hybrid-storage-renewables systems eligible for future Contract for Difference rounds.

Andrea Leadsom: We are investigating the potential barriers to deployment of storage focusing, in the first instance, on removing policy and regulatory barriers. DECC plans to issue a call for evidence on a smart systems route map in the coming months. As part of this work, we are considering the compatibility of the Contracts for Difference standard terms with generators intending to install storage.

Energy: Meters

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how her Department assesses the likely effectiveness of alternatives to in-home displays in changing consumer behaviour when applications for derogations to provide such alternatives are considered.

Andrea Leadsom: DECC has committed to publish guidance to support energy supplier applications for derogations to trial alternatives to in-home displays with smart meter consumers. This will include a pro forma capturing the information required to consider the merits of those trial applications. The Government’s response to the consultation setting out the derogation proposals indicated that applications will need to, among other things:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/497078/IHD_Policy_Framework_Licence_Conditions_Post_Consultation_Decisions_Final_for_Publication.pdf. Demonstrate a reasonable expectation that the alternative approach will lead to regular and sustained engagement with energy consumption information and in turn energy savings;Provide full details of the trial proposed including details of the customer journey and engagement tools, the trial design, the research questions, research methods to be used and the approach to assuring the trial is robust in design and delivery;Justify the size of trial necessary to provide robust and sufficiently precise findings; and,Set out how they will communicate information on the alternative to consumers in a clear and intelligible way, ensuring it is appropriate to the consumers it is offered to.

Energy

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will make it a condition of energy firms' licences that the staff of those firms' entire retail operation are directly employed in the UK.

Andrea Leadsom: The management of energy companies’ retail operations, including the location of its staff, is a commercial matter for the individual companies.

Electricity: Prices

Mr Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will make it the policy of the Government that electricity customers across the UK should pay the same for electricity transportation.

Andrea Leadsom: Electricity network charges vary by region and reflect the costs of running the network in that area and the number of consumers that those costs are spread over. The Government does not plan to move to national network charging, as the current cost reflective approach helps to ensure efficient use of the network and keeps overall costs down for bill payers across Great Britain. In contrast, national pricing risks an overall increase in network costs by weakening each network company’s local accountability to its customers, as well as making charges less transparent. On 23 October 2015, Ofgem published a report on the regional differences in network charges, which found no compelling case from a regulatory perspective to move to a national network charge. The report is available at: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/regional-differences-network-charges. The Government will continue to consider any evidence that is presented.

Electricity: Scotland

Mr Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the cost per kilowatt hour is of electricity transportation charged to consumers in (a) Orkney, (b) the north of Scotland and (c) the south of Scotland.

Andrea Leadsom: Ofgem published an analysis of regional differences in network charges on 23 October 2015 which is available at: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/ofgem-report-regional-differences-network-charges. Based on data contained in this report, the typical cost of electricity transmission and distribution in 2015/16 for a standard domestic tariff in the north of Scotland was 4.6 pence per kilowatt hour, and 3.7 pence per kilowatt hour for the south of Scotland (excluding VAT). There is no difference in electricity transmission and distribution charges between consumers in Orkney and the rest of the north of Scotland.

Housing: Insulation

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 15 March 2016 to Question 26458, how much investment in energy efficiency measures (a) was made during the last Parliament and (b) will be made during this Parliament.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department for Energy and Climate Change has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Cabinet Office

Lyon King of Arms Act 1592

Corri Wilson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if the Government will review the operation of the Lord Lyon King of Arms Act 1592 in respect of the restrictions it places on the granting of arms.

John Penrose: Following representations from Ruth Davidson MSP and others, and the strength of feeling concerning the Ayr united and Airdrieonians Football clubs, we have considered the matter and concluded that the judicial functions of the Lord Lyon are devolved to the Scottish Parliament under paragraph 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998. Accordingly, any question in relation to the judicial functions of the Lord Lyon is for Holyrood rather than Westminster.

Electoral Register: Costs

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2016 to Question 23088, on electoral register: costs, what the £23 million not shared between all EROs in Great Britain was spent on.

John Penrose: The remaining £23 million was for developing and maintaining the online registration service, electoral management software costs, payments to civil society organisations to help boost voter registration levels and staffing and related costs.

Cabinet Office: Equality

David Mackintosh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to improve the diversity of (a) public appointments and (b) staffing in his Department.

Matthew Hancock: All public appointments are made on merit following a fair and open competition in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointment’s Code of Practice. The Government is committed to increasing the diversity of public appointments. The Centre for Public Appointments in the Cabinet Office supports departments on all issues relating to the diversity of public appointments. Steps we are taking to increase diversity include streamlining the application process, placing an emphasis on ability over previous experience​ and increasing awareness of opportunities by using a central website, social media and engaging with a variety of diversity networks and groups. The Cabinet Office recruits staff in line with the Civil Service Commissioners Principles which ensures that candidates are selected based on fair and open competition and on merit. To reduce bias in selection, the Cabinet Office will be implementing name-blind recruitment methods from 1st April. In addition, recruitment and selection training, which has a core focus on raising awareness of unconscious bias, is also offered to all Chairs of recruitment panels.On 24 March, we published our 2016 Talent Action Plan for the Civil Service. It provides a progress update on initiatives to increase diversity in the Civil Service, including cross-Government talent programmes aimed at under-represented groups. It also sets out how we will increase social mobility in the Civil Service. The 2016 Talent Action Plan is available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/talent-action-plan-2016-removing-the-barriers-to-success

Government Departments: Small Businesses

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy to develop a standardised methodology for measuring SME spending by government departments which can be used as a baseline over the next five years.

Matthew Hancock: We have developed our methodology over time, starting in 2010 when there was no reliable estimate for spend with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). We now have much better data than before 2010 and we are continuing to improve our understanding of spend. The Government exceeded its target of 25% of central government procurement spend going to small and medium businesses by 2015, achieving over £12 billion (27.1%) of spend with SMEs by the end of the last Parliament.The Government standardised its methodology for collecting data on direct spend with SMEs in 2011-12; data on direct spend published since that point is comparable. Data on indirect spend for 2013-14 and 2014-15 is also comparable. This is an area of continuous improvement and we intend to standardise our methodology again during 2016-17.

Electoral Register: Educational Institutions

David Mackintosh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he has taken to increase the level of voter registration in schools, colleges and universities.

John Penrose: The Government has made it easier and quicker to register to vote than ever before through online registration. Since June 2014, 3.6 million people aged 16-24 have applied to register to vote, with 2.7 million of these applications made online. The Government has also worked with various youth organisations such as NUS and Sixth Form Colleges Association, to encourage voter registration among students.

Civil Service: Equality

Louise Haigh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of diversity of membership of the Civil Service Board; and if he will make a statement.

Matthew Hancock: The Civil Service Board is the highest level of governance and the most senior collective leadership body. It is Chaired by the Cabinet Secretary and comprises the Chief Executive and senior Permanent Secretaries. Its current membership is:Sir Jeremy HeywoodMelanie DawesSir Robert DevereuxDame Lin HomerSir Derek JonesMark LowcockJohn ManzoniSir Nick MacphersonSir Simon McDonaldDame Una O'BrienMark SedwillJon ThompsonChris WormoldAppointments to the Civil Service Board are made by the Chair and are selected from the pool of Permanent Secretaries who are heads of department. Board membership is reviewed on an ongoing basis and diversity is always a key consideration when making new appointments.

Civil Servants: Social Class

Louise Haigh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to introduce a civil service wide socio-economic background census.

Matthew Hancock: On 24 March, we published our 2016 Talent Action Plan for the Civil Service. As well as providing a progress update, it sets out how we will increase social mobility in the Civil Service.We are making a specific commitment that the Civil Service will lead the way, working with major employers and organisations promoting social mobility, to develop a national set of measures of socio-economic background for employers.The Civil Service will use these to measure the socio-economic background of its workforce, starting with the Senior Civil Service, the Fast Stream, apprenticeship starts and applicants to our corporate talent programmes.The 2016 Talent Action Plan is available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/talent-action-plan-2016-removing-the-barriers-to-success

Corruption

Louise Haigh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2016 to Question 31068, how many meetings the Government's Anti-Corruption Champion had with (a) Ministers and officials of other government departments and (b) representatives from civil society and business between July 2015 and the end of February 2016.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2016 to Question 31069 on corruption, what the usual practice is for disclosing such costs.

Matthew Hancock: All Cabinet Office costs are published in its annual report and accounts available on the GOV.UK website.The Anti-Corruption Champion has had a range of meetings with Ministers and officials from other government departments, as well as representatives from civil society and business, both in the United Kingdom (UK) and overseas.

Government Departments: Procurement

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what value and proportion of central government procurement was made by each department in each year since 2010.

Matthew Hancock: Total central government procurement spend is published as part of the annual reporting of spend with small and medium-sized businesses at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/central-government-spend-with-smes-2014-to-2015

Cybercrime: UK Membership of EU

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the contribution of the UK's membership of the EU to the protection of the UK's critical national information infrastructure from cyber-attack.

Matthew Hancock: Cyber threats transcend borders and so international cooperation is crucial to keep the UK safe. Whilst protection of the UK’s critical national infrastructure is a national security issue, and therefore outside the authority of the European Commission, we work closely with the EU to promote the UK’s vision of a free, open, peaceful and secure cyber space internationally. Our partnership with EU countries help improve our ability to manage cyber security risks, through initiatives likes CERT-CERT cooperation and the work of the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security, which promotes best practice and knowledge on cyber security. As a result, we are safer, stronger, and a better off as a member of the EU.

Employment: Disability

Royston Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many disabled people have found employment in the (a) private, (b) public and (c) charity sector in each of the last three years.

Mr Rob Wilson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Letter to Member - Employment
(PDF Document, 230.82 KB)

Legislation: Internet

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has to ensure all legislation available on the legislation.gov.uk website is (a) accessible and (b) up to date.

Mr Oliver Letwin: The legislation.gov.uk website is delivered by The National Archives and is a major online public service, visited by over two million people each month. The site provides access to legislation in a wide variety of formats. All of the content is open and freely available for access and re-use. The National Archives is committed to making the website as accessible as possible to users with visual, hearing, motor or cognitive impairments, in line with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. There is a conformance statement at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/accessibility. Braille copies of legislation as it was enacted or made are provided on request, free of charge.Legislation changes continually. All new legislation is published on the website shortly after it is enacted or made. This year The National Archives introduced a new service level for keeping primary legislation up-to-date, applying amendments to the revised legislation within three months of the quarter in which they came into force.

Proof of Identity: Photographs

Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he has had with officials of the Home Office and the police on proposals to allow members of the public to take their own ID photos for official documents on their own digital devices and the potential effect of this on ID fraud and quality of images.

Matthew Hancock: Government departments are fully committed to ensuring that the risks of identity fraud are minimised in transactions requiring photographs to be submitted. Currently applicants send paper photographs through the postal service. Technology now enables digital photographs to be submitted in online applications. In whichever channel is used the applicant must attest that the picture is a true likeness and departments put processes in place to assess the end-to-end risks of identity fraud. New technology has the potential to reduce fraud in this process, and we are investigating how technology can be used in a way that is both safe and cost effective.

Crimes of Violence: Young People

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what contribution his Department is making to Government steps to reduce the incidence of serious youth violence.

Mr Rob Wilson: Cabinet Office is committed to supporting young people from all backgrounds to make positive life choices and give back to their communities. In January 2016 Home Office published Ending Gang Violence and Exploitation which sets out how Cabinet Office programmes such as NCS and Step Up to Serve provide meaningful alternatives to gangs. Over 200,000 16-17 year olds have participated in NCS since 2011 and Step Up To Serve’s #iwill campaign aims to increase the number of 10-20 year olds participating in social action by 50% by 2020. These programmes have a powerful impact on young people at a formative time in their lives.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Nuisance Calls

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the proportion of nuisance calls which appear to be from local numbers but which are being forwarded elsewhere; and if he will make a statement.

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make it his policy to prevent companies using local numbers from which calls are forwarded abroad for the purposes of marketing and other nuisance calls.

Mr Edward Vaizey: Based on an analysis of reported concerns, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has previously estimated that approximately 12% of nuisance calls carry 'spoofed' Calling Line Identification (CLI), but this does not mean that all the calls have originated from overseas. The Government has recently consulted on making it a requirement for direct marketing callers to provide valid CLI. The Government plans to bring this measure into force in due course.

World War I: Anniversaries

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to commemorate the First World War in 2016.

David Evennett: Since the Prime Minister set out plans for the Centenary in October 2012 the Government has delivered highly successful commemorative events for the start of the First World War and the Gallipoli Campaign.In May 2016, commemorative events will be held for the Battle of Jutland, and in July 2016, we will mark the centenary of the Battle of the Somme by holding national events at the Thiepval Memorial in France, at Manchester Cathedral, and at Heaton Park. In addition, a national vigil will be held in June at Westminster Abbey, and there will also be vigils in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.Season Two of the 14-18 NOW culture programme has been announced and this - together with Centenary Partnership events, Heritage Lottery funded projects and local commemorative activity - will ensure people right across the UK have the opportunity to participate in commemorative events.Other centenary activities such as the UK Tour of the “poppies” and the national repair and conservation of War memorials also continue, more details can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/first-world-war-centenary

Crimes of Violence: Young People

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what contribution his Department is making to Government steps to reduce the incidence of serious youth violence.

Mr Edward Vaizey: This Government is committed to reducing youth violence. On 13 January 2016 the Home Office published the new Ending Gang Violence and Exploitation approach. This has a twin focus concerned with both reducing violence and protecting vulnerable individuals from exploitation by gangs, and how the Home Office want to work with national and local partners to respond to this. The Home Office's Modern Crime Prevention Strategy, published on 23 March 2016, sets out a range of measures they are taking, including working with the police and industry to ensure there are effective controls on the sales of knives, particularly to under-18s. The Home Office has agreed a set of principles with major retailers and the British Retail Consortium to prevent the underage sale of knives and to ensure knives are displayed safely. Government is also supporting police action taken against knife crime. Most recently, in February 2016, the Home Office supported thirteen police forces who undertook coordinated action against knife crime. This involved targeting habitual knife carriers, weapon sweeps, test purchases of knives from identified retailers, and use of surrender bins. In addition, DCMS launched the Sport Strategy in December 2015, which sets out how sport can play a role in inclusivity and giving everyone the best chance in life.

Bobby Moore

Damian Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans his Department has to commemorate the life of Bobby Moore and to mark the 60th anniversary of his captaincy of the 1966 England FIFA World Cup winning team.

David Evennett: Sir Bobby Moore OBE made an exceptional contribution to English football - his leadership and skill inspired not only the 1966 squad, but also subsequent generations of aspiring footballers at clubs across the country. The FA is leading commemorations of the 50th anniversary of the 1966 World Cup win, which the Government supports. The FA will be making a formal announcement in due course.

Arts: Children and Young People

William Wragg: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to maximise engagement of children and young people in the arts.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The Culture White Paper published last month makes clear that this Government is committed to ensuring that the arts should be an essential part of every child’s education both in and out of school. This includes working with the Department for Education on a range of music and cultural education programmes since 2012, supporting the Arts Council’s Cultural Education Challenge to create a network of cultural education partnerships and a new Cultural Citizens programme which will be piloted in three areas to support the engagement of disadvantaged young people with arts and culture in their local community.

House of Commons Commission

House of Commons: Catering

Royston Smith: To ask the Rt. hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, what the annual catering bill is for the House of Commons.

Tom Brake: Income from sales by catering services for the financial year 2014/15 was £9.4 million against costs of £11.8 million, which represents a net total cost for the annual catering bill for the House of Commons of £2.4 million. Figures for 2015/16 will be published in July 2016.

Department of Health

Motor Vehicles: Smoking

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects effective processes to be in place to allow the issuing of fixed penalty notices to people who are smoking in cars when children are present.

Jane Ellison: Local authorities can issue fixed penalty notices for offences related to smoking in private vehicles carrying children; the police can use the traffic offender report to pass information to local authorities who can issue the fixed penalty notice and collect the fines. Guidance on this process has been sent to police forces. The police and local authorities can also collaborate on enforcement action, for example when carrying out local road safety operations, when the local authority can take enforcement action as appropriate.

Locums

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the amount spent by the NHS on locum doctors in each of the last five years.

Alistair Burt: Information on the amount spent by the National Health Service on locum doctors in each of the last five years is not held centrally.The Department only collects data on overall spending on agency staff at a national level and this is incorporated into the Department’s annual accounts.

Doctors

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will estimate the number of qualified doctors required in the NHS who are (a) GPs and (b) working in hospitals.

Ben Gummer: The Department has set up Health Education England to plan the future healthcare workforce for England. It is responsible for ensuring a secure workforce supply that reflects the needs of local service users, providers and commissioners of healthcare.The number of doctors required is a matter for service commissioners and their provider partners to establish in providing a high quality service to patients and in taking into account the mechanisms through which those services will be provided. Delivery plans to meet the NHS Five Year Forward View are currently being established in collaboration via the Sustainability and Transformation Plan process. These plans will include early views on the shape of the future workforce.

Mental Health Services: Hospital Beds

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) female and (b) male adult inpatient mental health beds were available on average over weekends in each year since 2010.

Alistair Burt: This information is not available centrally.

Mental Health: Conferences

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and what proportion of attendees at the NHS England Mental Health Crisis Care Summit were mental health service users.

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure mental health service user groups are consulted in advance about arrangements for mental health conferences organised by his Department or NHS England.

Alistair Burt: The second mental health Crisis Care Concordat national summit was held on 24 November 2015, hosted jointly by the Department and Mind. The event concentrated on progress with improving crisis care since the launch of the Concordat in February 2014. The Summit was full, with 250 delegates and speakers. All delegates were Concordat activists – either involved in their local Crisis Concordat groups or representatives from national signatory and supporter organisations. People with lived experience and carers attended, as well as members of the National Survivor User Network. Some attendees will have been present representing their organisations but also will have had lived experience, and it is therefore not possible to calculate the number of those attendees who were mental health service users. All Departmental conferences involve stakeholders and service users as part of the preparation process.

General Practitioners

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effects on general practices of increases in the number of patients presenting at GP surgeries in the last 12 months; and what steps he is taking to ensure that GP surgeries can cope with the number of patients presenting.

Alistair Burt: We recognise the vital job that general practitioners (GPs) do. We know how hard GPs and their practice teams work and the challenges that they are facing in providing care for growing numbers of older people and patients with more complex needs.Figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre show that the number of patients registered with a GP has increased from 28,595,310 in 2015 to 28,893,403 in 2016, an increase of 1.0%. The GP Patient Survey, published in January 2016 shows a slight decline in the number of patients reporting that they are able to get a convenient GP appointment. Taken together, this suggests that GP workload may be increasing.The Government is committed to providing the support GPs need so they can spend more time with patients. The new contract will see an investment of £220 million for 2016 to 2017, and we are keen to reduce administrative demands on those delivering care where practicable.We are also investing in the primary and community care workforce and are committed to increasing the workforce by 10,000 by 2020, including an extra 5,000 doctors working in general practice.GPs are changing the way patients can access GP appointments, not just 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. The Prime Minister’s GP Access Fund is a £175 million investment to test improved and innovative methods of accessing general practice, including opening from 8am to 8pm on weekdays and weekends; better use of telecare and apps; more innovative ways to access services by video call, telephone and email; and more integrated services.

General Practitioners

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to ensure the continued development of GP networks.

Alistair Burt: The Prime Minister’s GP Access Fund has enabled groups of general practitioner (GP) practices, often collaborating with others such as community pharmacies or ambulance services, to provide new and expanded services together. Operating under a single contract within a local area and sharing work and resources has enabled the 2,500 practices in the programme to significantly develop their networks.Most of the GP Access Fund schemes have, through the programme, strengthened their arrangements for collaboration, developed a more prominent identity with patients, and grown their leadership and management capabilities. This has been facilitated by the support programme put in place by NHS England, helping the networks to make faster progress on issues such as information technology, governance and care redesign. It has also built a legacy of more cohesive and capable teams for the future.NHS England has supported the creation of the Royal College of General Practitioners’ network of federations, which is growing rapidly as a high quality resource for practices wishing to deepen their collaboration and improve services for patients. Funding for this to continue into 2016/17 has been confirmed.The New Care Models Programme is also supporting networks of GP practices to come together with community, mental health and hospital services to provide more joined-up care for patients.

General Practitioners: Great Grimsby

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many GPs in Great Grimsby constituency have retired in the last 12 months.

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information he holds on the number of GPs in Great Grimsby constituency who have given notice of their retirement.

Alistair Burt: This information is not collected centrally.

Tobacco

Mr Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cumulative loss in revenue to HM Treasury has been as a result of the effect of tobacco control measures over the last 10 years.

Mr Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the potential reduction in revenue to the public purse resulting from the EU Tobacco Products Directive.

Jane Ellison: The Department assesses the impact of all proposed measures before laying legislation using standard government methodology. These assessments are set out in Impact Assessments which are scrutinised by the Regulatory Policy Committee before publication alongside the Statutory Instrument. Impact Assessments include a thorough analysis of the costs, benefits and risks associated with policy options.A number of the tobacco measures contain commitments to further review the impact of the legislation within five years of them coming into force.

Eyesight: Testing

Maria Caulfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans to encourage uptake of sight tests amongst children and adults with learning disabilities in the Learning Disability Action Plan.

Alistair Burt: The Department is coproducing the learning disability action plan with self-advocates, family carers and other experts and stakeholders. It will support people with learning disabilities of any age and level of need being able to live good and fulfilling lives with the opportunities that other people have. This includes people being able to access health and care services in the right place at the right time. The programme of sight tests in special schools underway in London commissioned by NHS England from See Ability will provide evidence on access to sight tests by people with learning disabilities.

Maternity Services

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2016 to Question 30456, what proportion of (a) primiparous and (b) multiparous women are discharged from hospital less than 24 hours after giving birth.

Ben Gummer: The Care Quality Commission 2015 survey of women’s experience of maternity care found that 27% of primiparous mothers (first time mothers) stayed in hospital for less than 24 hours after birth. 47% of multiparous mothers (women who have previously given birth one or more times) stayed in hospital for less than 24 hours after birth.Full details of the survey can be found here:http://www.cqc.org.uk/content/maternity-services-survey-2015

General Practitioners

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions his Department has had with NHS England on increasing the amount of funding available to GP practices.

Alistair Burt: The Department has regular discussions with NHS England on various measures to support general practice, including funding. NHS England has confirmed that it will increase funding for general practice by an average of 4.5% each year to 2020/21.

Steroid Drugs

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect of the use of steroids on the physical and mental health of people using such drugs.

Jane Ellison: Information on the physical and mental health effects of anabolic steroids, as well as other illicit and licit substances, is contained in ‘A summary of the health harms of drugs: A guide to the risks and harms associated with substance misuse’ published by the Department in August 2011 and is available online:http://www.nta.nhs.uk/uploads/healthharmsfinal-v1.pdfWhen used in clinical practice, doctors prescribing a course of anabolic steroids are expected to discuss potential side effects and to draw patients’ attention to the additional information contained in the Patient Information Leaflet.

General Practitioners: Labour Turnover

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to increase the retention rate of doctors working in general practice.

Alistair Burt: The number of full time equivalent doctors working in general practice has increased by 1,677 since September 2010.The Department has committed to further increasing the primary and community care workforce by 10,000 by 2020, including an additional 5,000 doctors working in general practice. In January 2015, NHS England, Health Education England, the Royal College of General Practitioners and the British Medical Association’s General Practitioners Committee published Building the Workforce, a ten point plan to address general practitioner (GP) workforce issues.The ten point plan includes actions to improve retention, as well as to increase recruitment and support GPs to return to practice. As part of this work, NHS England has commissioned a detailed review to identify the most effective measures to encourage experienced GPs to remain in practice.

General Practitioners: Halton

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many GPs retired in Halton constituency in the last 12 months; and how many GPs in that constituency have given notice of their intention to retire in 2016.

Alistair Burt: This information is not collected centrally. However, this information is available from the Halton Clinical Commissioning Group.

Tobacco: Packaging

Mr Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will postpone the start date for the introduction of standardised packaging on tobacco products in order to undertake an assessment of the implications of the post-implementation review of a similar measure in Australia on his policies in this area.

Jane Ellison: The Government has no current plans to postpone the introduction of standardised packaging of tobacco products. The Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015 come into force on 20 May 2016. Standardised packaging is an important public health measure and any delay in implementing the policy would also delay the health benefits from accruing. The Government continues to consider relevant information and evidence on standardised packaging, including the Post-Implementation Review of Tobacco Plain Packaging published by the Australian Government last month.

Medical Equipment

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) MRI machines (b) CT Scanners (c) PET-CT scanners (d) Linear accelerators and (e) Robotic surgery systems in use in each NHS trust are older than ten years.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2016 to Question 23756, what proportion of the cost of backlog maintenance for each level of assessed risk in each NHS organisation relates to (a) MRI machines (b) CT Scanners (c) PET-CT scanners (d) Linear accelerators and (e) Robotic surgery systems.

George Freeman: Information on the age of MRI machines, CT scanners, PET-CT scanners, linear accelerators and robotic surgery systems and the proportion of the cost of backlog maintenance that relates to these are not held centrally.

NHS: Repairs and Maintenance

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2016 to Question 23756, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of funds within NHS organisations to eradicate backlog maintenance repairs which are considered to be high risk.

George Freeman: National Health Service organisations are locally responsible for the quality of their estate and the management of their own backlog maintenance. They decide on the investment needed to reduce backlog maintenance levels based on their own local plans and financial situation. Capital investment by NHS providers continues to be financed locally through income and/or through access to external financing.

Abortion

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that all women undergoing abortions are given the opportunity to decide on disposal arrangements following a termination.

Jane Ellison: The Human Tissue Authority has produced guidance The disposal of pregnancy remains following pregnancy loss or termination. A copy of the guidance can be found at:https://www.hta.gov.uk/faqs/disposal-pregnancy-remains-faqsAll providers of termination of pregnancy services are expected to follow this guidance.

Breast Cancer

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 16 March 2016 on Question 30222, what further work in the collection and publication of data on secondary breast cancer by hospital trusts in England is being scoped.

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 16 March 2016 on Question 30222, when he expects that data on secondary breast cancer will be complete.

Jane Ellison: Data on breast cancer recurrence has been mandated in the Cancer Services and Outcomes Dataset (COSD) for diagnoses from 1 January 2013. The National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS) in Public Health England (PHE) estimates about one-quarter of recurrences are currently submitted. NCRAS will support trusts to improve their submission of data by producing reports on the number of recurrences submitted by each National Health Service trust. These will enable the identification of best practise to be shared, and enable us to engage with trusts that are not submitting data.Data on all cancer recurrence has been mandated in COSD since 31 July 2015.In addition further work is being scoped by NHS England and PHE based on the recommendation in the recent Independent Cancer Taskforce report to establish robust surveillance systems to collect relapse and recurrence data on all cancers.

Abortion: Greater London

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received on Care Quality Commission findings that it was policy for a British Pregnancy Advisory Service clinic in Richmond to act outside of the licence for an anaesthetic; and if he will make a statement.

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received about concerns identified by the Care Quality Commission at a British Pregnancy Advisory Service abortion clinic in Richmond; and if he will make a statement.

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) about safety concerns in the Care Quality Commission Report on the BPAS abortion clinic in Richmond.

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure compliance with safety regulations and basic standards of hygiene at abortion clinics.

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if will he take steps to ensure that British Pregnancy Advisory Service abortion clinics do not act outside the licence for anaesthetics and do not share single doses between patients.

Jane Ellison: One representation has been received in relation to the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) inspection of BPAS Richmond. The CQC is responsible for ensuring that requirements under the Health and Social Care (HSC) Act 2008 are met by the providers of termination of pregnancy services including meeting the fundamental standards of quality and safety as set out in Part 3 to the 2014 Regulations, and Regulation 20 of the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009, which is specific to independent sector termination of pregnancy providers. The CQC is responsible for ensuring that the requirements under the HSC Act 2008 are maintained through a system of monitoring and, where appropriate, inspection visits. It is for the CQC and the provider to address required and recommended actions identified following an inspection.Independent sector providers are also required to comply with the Department of Health’s Required Standard Operating Procedures.Departmental officials meet regularly with representatives from the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) but have not met since the CQC report on BPAS Richmond was published.

Nurses

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many nurses (a) left the profession and (b) qualified in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Ben Gummer: This information can be found for each of the last four years on the Health and Social Care Information Centre website. It is available from the links below:  http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB19847/nhs-work-stat-nov-2015-turn-tab.xls http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB16870/nhs-work-stat-nov-2014-turn-tab.xls http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB13554/nhs-work-stat-nov-2013-turn-tab.xls http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB10298/mont-hchs-work-stat-eng-nov-2012-turn-tab.xlsx The Department does not hold the information on the number of nurses who qualified in the last five years. The Nursing and Midwifery Council is the body that nurses apply to for professional registration after graduation, and may hold this information.

Mental Health Services

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2016 to Question 23217, on local transformation plans, for what reasons not all plans have been published online; and when he expects all those plans to be available online.

Alistair Burt: The deadline for the assessment process was December 2015 but some local areas have needed extra time to ensure the approved plans are in an accessible format for the general public. All plans should now be available online.

Psychiatry: Training

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2016 to Question 30262, what plans Health Education England has to reform funding not related to the bursary scheme for postgraduate training in (a) child psychotherapy, (b) clinical psychology and (c) improving access to psychological therapies from 2017.

Ben Gummer: Health Education England (HEE) funding for psychological therapy training is currently determined at a local level based on local need. For 2016-17 HEE will fund those commissions set out in the HEE Commissioning and Investment Plan 2016/17 which was published in December 2015. The delivery and funding options for healthcare training programmes, such as these, that fall outside the healthcare education funding reform announced in the November 2015 Spending Review may need further consideration as we seek to align systems and ensure that the future supply of qualified healthcare professionals continues to meet the needs of the health service. The Government is working with HEE and other delivery organisations to this end.

Mental Health Services: Females

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and what proportion of mental health trusts provide mental health services and support by female staff in female only settings; what funding is provided for such services; and what minimum standards are required for training, supervision and support for staff and volunteers providing those services.

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and what proportion of mental health trusts (a) offer female patients a choice of a female care coordinator, (b) conduct routine enquiries with female patients about experiences of abuse and violence and (c) provide gender-sensitive care.

Alistair Burt: This information is not held centrally.

Mental Health Services

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has undertaken a gender impact assessment of its mental health strategies.

Alistair Burt: This Department undertakes impact assessment analysis when developing and implementing policies. Part of this assessment is the analysis of equalities issues, including gender. For example, mental health strategy No health without mental health A cross-government mental health outcomes strategy for people of all ages was published in February 2011 and was accompanied by an analysis of the impact on equality.

Paramedical Staff

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many paramedics have moved from that role to that of a hospital-based practitioner in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Ben Gummer: Information on the number of paramedics who moved to the role of hospital based practitioner is not collected by the Department.

Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to (a) better identify visitors to the UK from other EEA countries who are being treated in NHS hospitals and (b) ensure that such visitors' home countries are charged for their treatment.

Alistair Burt: Since its inception in 2013, the Department of Health’s Visitor and Migrant NHS Cost Recovery Programme has been working to design and implement key improvements to ensure that those people who should pay for National Health Service care in England are identified and charged. The Department has also been working closely with the NHS to improve rates of recovery where these healthcare costs are the responsibility of other member states of the European Economic Area (EEA) via the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), S1 and S2 mechanisms.Achievements include:- the revision of the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations that came into force on 6 April 2015, reducing the number of exemption from charge categories and realigning the Regulations to the principle that the NHS is a residency-based healthcare system;- support of and engagement with NHS providers through meetings with senior trust employees, plus the launch of a Cost Recovery Support Team to provide bespoke assistance to trusts to support them in improving their processes for identifying chargeable patients and recovering funds owed, including those from Europe;- the launch of the European Health Insurance Card reporting incentive on 1 October 2014. Through this, all EHIC activity correctly reported by NHS secondary providers that enables the UK to make appropriate reimbursement claims from other member states attracts an additional 25% funding of the costs of providing treatment for the benefit of the reporting organisation.The Department has recently concluded a consultation on the extension of charging overseas visitors and migrants using the NHS in England. Part of the consultation proposes to amend the residence definition for EEA nationals, by which they qualify for free NHS treatment in England. The Government will set out its response to the consultation in due course.EEA countries and Switzerland reimburse the UK for the cost of the NHS providing treatment to people they are responsible for under EU law, including UK nationals insured in another EEA country or Switzerland.

Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether a visitor to the UK from another European Economic area state who is not in possession of an EHIC card can register as a temporary patient with a GP practice and receive treatment free of charge.

Alistair Burt: Possession of a European Health Insurance Card is not required to register with a practice. Anyone can seek to register as a National Health Service patient with a general practitioner (GP) practice by approaching one directly and submitting a written and signed application. A practice cannot legally refuse to register someone because they do not possess identification or documents.Individual GP practices can have a policy where they ask prospective patients to provide identification, however they must ensure that this is applied to all patients and not done in a discriminatory manner.

HIV Infection: Drugs

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential (a) effectiveness and (b) value for money of providing pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV.

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that pre-exposure prophylaxis commissioning is targeted at people most at risk of HIV infection.

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people were diagnosed with HIV in each of the last 10 years.

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with whom NHS England's specialised commissioning service has consulted in the past 18 months in preparation for the planned public consultation on pre-exposure prophylaxis.

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will estimate how many at-risk men in which areas will (a) not receive and (b) receive pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV in each of the next five years.

Jane Ellison: Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is a new use of HIV drugs which has shown clinical effectiveness in research trials at preventing HIV in people at high risk of getting HIV such as men who have sex with men (MSM) and people with HIV-positive partners. The drug used in the trials, Truvada, is not yet licenced for use as PrEP. Public Health England (PHE) has undertaken modelling work looking at cost-effectiveness of PrEP. Much depends on the price of the drugs and HIV prevalence in the target group. However, as with any new intervention, PrEP now needs to be properly assessed in relation to cost effectiveness to see how it could be commissioned in the most sustainable and integrated way and how it compares with other cost-effective approaches. The Department is considering this with PHE, NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.A wide range of stakeholders were included in the initial work by NHS England on PrEP including the Department of Health, PHE, the Medical Research Council, voluntary organisations and Genitourinary and HIV Clinicians. NHS England will be building on the work to date by making available up to £2 million over the next two years to run a number of early implementer sites. These will be undertaken in conjunction with PHE.The data on new HIV diagnosis is available in table 1a in the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/469321/National_Tables20102015.xlsAs part of the PROUD study, PHE has assessed how many men may be considered high risk but it is not possible to estimate how many would seek to access PrEP.

Ambulance Services: Labour Turnover

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve recruitment and retention in the ambulance service.

Jane Ellison: Recruitment and retention of ambulance service staff is the responsibility of individual ambulance trusts. Many are taking direct action in this area now with national and international recruitment campaigns. There are almost 2,000 additional paramedics in the system now than in 2010 and we are training another 1,900 over the next five years.

Paramedical Staff: Training

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect that changes in qualification requirements for studying a BSc in paramedicine will have on recruitment into that profession.

Ben Gummer: There are currently 30 Higher Education Institutions across the United Kingdom delivering Health Care Professions Council approved pre-registration paramedic programmes. Of these, there are now 22 (73%) that are delivering BSc (Hons) degrees.The commissioned numbers in 2012/13 were 563, in 2013/14 were 722 and in 2014/15 were 853. Planned commission numbers for 2015/16 are 1,124 and for 2016/17 are 1,729. This shows there has been an increase of successful applicants who wish to enter the profession and are undertaking an appropriate pre-registration programme of higher education.

Diabetes: Health Education

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what scientific testing Spirit Healthcare's Empower type 2 diabetes education programme underwent for the outcomes it produces.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many times Spirit Healthcare has been commissioned to deliver type 2 diabetes education to date.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many contracts with the NHS for diabetes education Spirit Healthcare holds.

Jane Ellison: The information requested is not held centrally.

Mental Health Services

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department plans to take to support recommendation 17 of the Mental Health Taskforce report of February 2016, on 24/7 access to mental health services by 2020-21.

Alistair Burt: The Department welcomed the publication of the independent Mental Health Taskforce report and we are working with our delivery partners to develop a programme of work to embed its recommendations in our policies. We will provide further details in the summer. To support this programme, we announced in January that an additional £1 billion investment will help to transform mental health services by 2020. This investment includes over £400 million for crisis resolution and home treatment teams to deliver 24/7 treatment in communities and homes as a safe and effective alternative to hospitals and £247 million for liaison mental health services in every hospital emergency department.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the NHS spent on treating people with inflammatory bowel disease in (a) the last 12 months and (b) each of the last five financial years.

Jane Ellison: The information is not available in the format requested.Such information as is available on the cost to the National Health Service of treating inflammatory bowel disease is from reference costs, which are the average unit cost to NHS hospital trusts of providing defined services to patients in a given financial year. Reference costs for acute care are collected by Healthcare Resource Group (HRG), a secondary classification system which groups similar treatments that use similar resources. Reference costs are published annually, most recently for 2014-15.The following table reflects the costs of treating patients who are admitted to hospital and does not include the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease in outpatient or other settings outside of hospital. The costs are not comparable between years because of changes to the HRG design and to the underlying primary classification system for diseases.Estimated total costs (£millions) to NHS hospitals of treating inflammatory bowel disease, 2010-11 to 2014-15 2010-112011-122012-132013-142014-15Inflammatory bowel disease207.3147.173.078.882.9Paediatric inflammatory bowel disease12.18.49.710.610.9Total219.4155.582.689.593.8 Source: Reference costs, Department of HealthNotes:For each HRG or other currency in the reference cost collection, NHS hospital trusts submit a unit cost and amount of activity undertaken.Costs are not comparable between years:changes to the HRG design in 2011-12 resulted in the removal of HRGs specific to procedures for inflammatory bowel disease. These costs are included in other HRGs and are no longer separately identifiable.revised clinical coding guidance introduced in 2012-13 with the International Classification of Diseases 10th revision (ICD-10), fourth edition, resulted in the transfer of significant activity (and therefore costs) associated with infectious gastroenteritis and colitis to other HRGs.The following HRGs are included in the table: 2010-11FZ37F Inflammatory Bowel Disease with length of stay 1 day or lessFZ37G Inflammatory Bowel Disease with length of stay 2 days or more with Major Complications and Comorbidities (CC) with InterventionsFZ37H Inflammatory Bowel Disease with length of stay 2 days or more with Major CC without InterventionsFZ37I Inflammatory Bowel Disease with length of stay 2 days or more without Major CC with InterventionsFZ37J Inflammatory Bowel Disease with length of stay 2 days or more without Major CC without InterventionsFZ14Z Complex Procedures for Inflammatory Bowel DiseaseFZ15Z Major Procedures for Inflammatory Bowel DiseaseFZ28A Endoscopic or Intermediate Procedures for Inflammatory Bowel Disease 19 years and over with CCFZ28B Endoscopic or Intermediate Procedures for Inflammatory Bowel Disease 19 years and over without CCFZ28C Endoscopic or Intermediate Procedures for Inflammatory Bowel Disease 18 years and underPA27Z Inflammatory Bowel Disease 2011-12FZ37F Inflammatory Bowel Disease with length of stay 1 day or lessFZ37G Inflammatory Bowel Disease with length of stay 2 days or more with Major CC with InterventionsFZ37H Inflammatory Bowel Disease with length of stay 2 days or more with Major CC without InterventionsFZ37I Inflammatory Bowel Disease with length of stay 2 days or more without Major CC with InterventionsFZ37J Inflammatory Bowel Disease with length of stay 2 days or more without Major CC without InterventionsPA27Z Inflammatory Bowel Disease 2012-13FZ37K Inflammatory Bowel Disease with Multiple Interventions, with CC Score 3+FZ37L Inflammatory Bowel Disease with Multiple Interventions, with CC Score 0-2FZ37M Inflammatory Bowel Disease with Single Intervention, with CC Score 4+FZ37N Inflammatory Bowel Disease with Single Intervention, with CC Score 0-3FZ37P Inflammatory Bowel Disease without Interventions, with CC Score 5+FZ37Q Inflammatory Bowel Disease without Interventions, with CC Score 3-4FZ37R Inflammatory Bowel Disease without Interventions, with CC Score 1-2FZ37S Inflammatory Bowel Disease without Interventions, with CC Score 0PA27Z Inflammatory Bowel Disease 2013-14 and 2014-15FZ37K Inflammatory Bowel Disease with Multiple Interventions, with CC Score 3+FZ37L Inflammatory Bowel Disease with Multiple Interventions, with CC Score 0-2FZ37M Inflammatory Bowel Disease with Single Intervention, with CC Score 4+FZ37N Inflammatory Bowel Disease with Single Intervention, with CC Score 0-3FZ37P Inflammatory Bowel Disease without Interventions, with CC Score 5+FZ37Q Inflammatory Bowel Disease without Interventions, with CC Score 3-4FZ37R Inflammatory Bowel Disease without Interventions, with CC Score 1-2FZ37S Inflammatory Bowel Disease without Interventions, with CC Score 0PF27A Paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease with CC Score 1+PF27B Paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease with CC Score 0

Accident and Emergency Departments: Mental Illness

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 18 January 2016 to Question 22159, on mental illness and A&E departments, if he will publish that data for each month of 2015 and 2016.

Alistair Burt: There are no plans to routinely publish the number of accident and emergency attendances with a duration to departure of more than four hours, for patients with a primary diagnosis of psychosis, by age group.

Mental Health Services

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress he has made on implementing recommendation 10 in the executive summary of Public Health England's March 2015 report entitled, Public mental health leadership and workforce development framework, on building the capacity of the National Mental Health Intelligence Network.

Jane Ellison: Progress on implementing recommendation 10, which is to build the mental health intelligence capability through the National Mental Health Intelligence Network (NMHIN) can be categorised into three sections and is as follows: 1) Capacity – NMHIN increased capacity in 2015/16 through NHS England investment. This enabled recruitment to work on additional/enhanced programmes on Crisis Care and Perinatal Mental Health and the first stage of a mental health Joint Strategic Needs Assessment toolkit. NHS England have committed to continue investment in 2016/17.2) Products - the NMHIN has enhanced mental health intelligence capability through the development of;a) Profiling tools (i.e. new tool on Suicide Prevention; expanded tool on Severe Mental Illness and Common Mental Health Disorders; updated tools which include; Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing) and,b) ntelligence products (i.e. Measuring Mental Wellbeing in Children and Young People).3) Dissemination – the NMHIN has enabled more people to use mental health intelligence through a communication and training programme that provides: routine updates on products and work programmes, training sessions on using products, online access to video and document guides, and a programme of presentations that promote products and encourages use. The Public Health England Local Intelligence Service support this programme and increasingly a range of partners request sessions.

Suicide

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to ensure all frontline NHS staff are trained in suicide prevention; and whether such training will be compulsory.

Ben Gummer: It is the responsibility of the professional regulators to set the standards and outcomes for education and training and approve training curricula to ensure newly qualified healthcare professionals are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to provide high quality patient care. It is the responsibility of employers to ensure staff receive appropriate training to deliver high quality healthcare. This includes training in suicide prevention. There are no plans to make it compulsory.

General Practitioners

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many GPs were working in (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) Enfield and (c) London (i) in total and (ii) per head of population in each year since 2010.

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many GP appointments were available in Enfield North constituency in each year since 2010.

Alistair Burt: The attached table shows the total general practitioner (GP) headcount and headcount per head of population in Enfield and London between 2010-14.Information on the availability of GP appointments in Enfield North is not collected centrally.We have invested in the Prime Minister’s GP Access Fund to test improved and innovative access to GP services. Across the two waves of the Fund, there are 57 schemes covering over 2,500 practices and over 18 million patients have benefited from improved access and transformational change at a local level. A wide variety of approaches are being tested through the Access Fund, including: evening and weekend appointments and better use of telecare and health apps; more innovative ways to access services by video call, email or telephone; and developing more integrated services with a single point of contact to co-ordinate patient services.



GP headcount 2010-14
(Excel SpreadSheet, 18.42 KB)

Mental Health Services

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to implement recommendation 8 in the executive summary of Public Health England's March 2015 report entitled, Public mental health leadership and workforce development framework, on working with relevant colleges, faculties and boards overseeing professional training to include mental health within public health curricula.

Jane Ellison: Public Health England (PHE) has worked with the Faculty of Public Health (FPH), Royal Society for Public Health and Royal College of Psychiatrists in developing and implementing the public mental health leadership and workforce development framework. More recently the Royal College of Nursing, Chartered Institute for Environmental Health (CIEH), Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) and Institute for Health Visitors have endorsed the framework and signed up to its Call to Action. Mental health has been made a presidential priority for the FPH, CIEH and ADPH. PHE has provided information and guidance to inform the recent FPH curricula review, the Public Health Skills and Knowledge Framework review and the new Mental Health Skills and Knowledge Framework. PHE has also presented the framework to the United Kingdom People in Public Health Board, Skills for Care Mental Health Board, Health Education England Mental Health Advisory Board and the forthcoming Health Education England Public Health Advisory Board.

Mental Health Services

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to implement recommendation 12 in the executive summary of Public Health England's March 2015 report entitled, Public mental health leadership and workforce development framework, on supporting increased access to a range of mental health promotion training for frontline public health practitioners.

Alistair Burt: Public Health England (PHE) has been collating practice examples of mental health promotion training available for frontline public health practitioners. Information will help inform the commissioning of training locally. PHE is working with the Royal Society for Public Health and other partners to identify gaps in mental health promotion training provision and opportunities to fill these gaps, such as developing e-learning training modules. At a local level, PHE centres are working with Health Education England (HEE) colleagues to identify and co-ordinate provision of training to practitioners and identify needs and training opportunities. PHE contributed to the Mental Health Task Force report and has integrated the priority of increasing the training within the Taskforce’s recommendations. Work will be led by HEE, supported by PHE.

Prime Minister

Corruption

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Prime Minister, whether representatives of the UK's Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories will be invited to the anti-corruption summit in May.

Mr David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Illford South (Mr Gapes) during my Oral Statement today.